Iris germanica Double Espoir

The Double Espoir iris is a bitone garden iris with abundant stems and demonstrating good vigour. Its flowers have soft salmon petals with red-orange beards and wide velvety garnet sepals slightly lightened at their periphery.

Everyone knows Iris germanica, which has become world-famous thanks to the paintings of Van Gogh and Monet. It owes its popularity to its unique formation.

Its wide, rigid sword-shaped leaves contrast with ruffled, multicoloured flowers perched up high. The flowers have the particularity of forming three large erect 'standard' petals and three silky and trailing sepals or 'falls', at the top of which sit a fuzzy "beard". The flowering lasts a few weeks in May/June. Irises have large fleshy rhizomes that spread along the ground. They like light, warmth, and light and well-drained soils. Not afraid of cold or summer drought, their main enemy is moisture, especially in heavy soils. Superb in a sunny flowerbed, they are also highly appreciated for cut flower arrangements.

Very robust, it should be exposed to full sun, in rather dry and well-drained soil.

Place the Double Hope Iris in a flowerbed or border accompanied by yarrow, alliums, stipas or roses. It is preferable to scatter them in groups of 3 or singly, rather than creating homogeneous iris beds.