Iris Old Black Magic - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris 'Old Black Magic' is one of the best varieties of "black" flowers. The plant is not only floriferous and prolific, but it also has some of the darkest flowers that can be found among large garden irises. The flowers are modest in size and quite simple in shape, with slightly wavy charcoal petals that seem almost to be woven from black silk around a mustard beard. Their fragrance is pronounced revealing sweet notes of grape and chocolate. Obtained in 1996 in the USA, this variety has won awards in the United States and from the RHS in England.

The Garden Iris is a rhizomatous and deciduous upright tufted perennial. It belongs to the iridaceae family. 'Old Black Magic' is one of the many cultivars, whose origin is controversial due to the highly variable number of chromosomes in different species and varieties of Iris. It should be noted that Garden Irises have European origins. 'Old Black Magic' is a tall cultivar, 90 cm (35in) high when flowering whose sturdy stem carries 8 to 12 flower buds which open one by one, a guarantee of long flowering. The clump will spread very quickly, with no theoretical limit over time, with the central rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long glaucous green, highly veined sword-like leaves. Flower stems appear in April and blossom in May, towards the beginning of the season for large irises. The flowers open from the top to the bottom. The extremely dark colour is magnified by the silky texture of the petals and sepals. This black is cold, showing very little red. The beards are mustard yellow, darker at the base.

Obtained by Schreiner (USA), 1996.

Awards: Honorable mention in 1998, Award of Merit in 2000.

To accompany irises, choose plants that thrive in the sun and dry soil, preferably low-growing or with light foliage so as not to shade them, and pay attention to their decorative appearance and flowering date. Gauras, for example, meet these criteria, and their later flowering will keep the bed attractive in summer. Eschscholzias, perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertias also complement irises very well. Plant tall irises against a wall, in relative shelter from the wind. They can also be planted in the foreground of shorter and earlier varieties. The kitchen garden can be planted with a few clumps or borders of irises for cut flowers.

Path border: the entire range can be used, from the early dwarfs less than 40 cm (16in) tall to tall irises over 75 cm (30in) tall flowering in May, including the intermediates (in size and earliness) and the border irises, medium-sized but flowering with the tall ones. Tall irises may need staking.

Mass border: the domain of border irises and dwarfs.

Mixed border: the entire range of sizes can be used, chosen according to the location (front, back) and the height of the surrounding plants.

Iris bed, the iris garden: the paradise of the iris enthusiast. The use of the entire range of bearded irises allows for two and a half months of flowers in spring. The choice of so-called reblooming irises offers a few additional flowers in late summer or autumn.