Iris germanica Hysteria

The 'Hysteria' German Iris is a bearded iris with a strong personality. Its heavily undulated large corollas display pure white petals resting on white sepals veined with violet and lavender, warmed with gold at the shoulders. Beautiful mandarin-coloured beards bring a whimsical character to the flower. This variety also offers a sweet sugary fragrance. Plant the rhizomes in full sun on a slope or in a flower bed.

The 'Hysteria' Iris is a rhizomatous and deciduous perennial plant, with an upright tufted habit starting in spring. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of many cultivars obtained over the centuries, with debate about their disputed origins revolving around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Bearded Irises have European origins

The Hysteria iris will reach a height of 90 cm (35in) when in flower, with 8 to 10 buds per stem. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer ones. It has an elegant upright habit in a dense clump. The foliage consists of long sword-shaped, glaucous green and heavily veined leaves. It disappears in winter and re-emerges in spring. In April floral stems appear that will produce flowers in May-June, opening from the top down towards the lower branches. They consist of 3 upright petals, 3 trailing sepals with hairy beards at the base, as well as 3 petaloid styles, often decorative, crowning the beards. The colour of this plant is, as always with Bearded Irises, magnified by the texture of the petals and sepals, here thick and speckled. The flowers have a slightly sweet fragrance.

Blyth 2008 selection. 

To accompany the irises, choose plants based on their needs (sunlight, soil), their "respectful" growth habit vis-a-vis irises (low-growing plants or light foliage), and how they complement each other visually (appearance, flowering period). For example, Gauras will cast little shade and will keep the bed attractive throughout summer once the irises have flowered. California Poppies (Eschscholzia), like irises, will be satisfied with dry and poor soil. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also complement irises very well. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilised by dense planting of old diploid varieties that can remain in place and require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible one can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely than tall varieties to be knocked over by wind and rain.

The vegetable garden can be adorned with a few clumps or borders of irises, as the classic place for growing cut flowers.