Iris germanica Blue Sapphire - Bearded Iris

Iris germanica 'Blue Sapphire' is a fairly old garden iris, interesting for its robustness, bright colour, and early flowering. The plant offers large silky flowers, beautifully undulating, light, and delicate silver-blue. This pastel colour harmonizes with white beards with a light yellow base. Among the tallest, flowering before many others, 'Blue Sapphire' will work wonders alongside pink blooms.

The 'Blue Sapphire' Iris is a rhizomatous perennial that forms upright clumps. Its deciduous foliage disappears in autumn and reappears in spring. This plant belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over centuries, whose controversial origin revolves around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It is worth noting that Garden Irises have European origins.

The 'Blue Sapphire' Iris is a tall variety, reaching 1m (3ft) in height when in bloom. Each rhizome produces a branching stem with multiple flower buds. The clump will spread rapidly, with no theoretical limit over time, as the central rhizomes become bare in favour of the outer ones. The foliage consists of long, undulate, glaucous green leaves with prominent veins. In April, floral stems appear, which will produce flowers in May, at the beginning of the season of tall irises, blooming from the top to the lower branches. The bright colour of this plant is, as always with Garden Irises, magnified by the silky and iridescent texture of the petals and sepals.

Schreiner's creation from 1953 - Awards: Honorable Mention 1954; Award of Merit 1956; Dykes Medal 1958

To accompany irises, choose companion plants based on their needs (exposure, soil...), their "respectful" growth with irises (low plants or light foliage), and their decorative complementarity (appearance, flowering time). For example, Gauras will cast little shade on the irises and will keep the deflowered iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will tolerate a dry soil in summer, just like the iris. Geraniums, sages, and Libertia also pair well with irises. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilized by dense plantings of old diploid varieties that can stay in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for maintenance is possible, one can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely than tall ones to be literally knocked down by wind and rain.

At the base of a very sunny wall, sheltered from the wind, tall irises can be used. They can be planted behind shorter and earlier varieties. The vegetable garden can accommodate a few clumps of irises, as it is also a place dedicated to growing flowers for cutting.