Iris pumila Crispy - Dwarf bearded Iris

Dwarf Bearded Iris 'Crispy' is a miniature bearded iris that blooms particularly early in March-April. Its wavy flowers are pure white, with light yellow beards. This dwarf variety forms pretty clumps that colonize the soil, perfect for creating a beautiful spring display in rockeries, planters, and borders.

Iris 'Crispy' is a rhizomatous perennial plant. It is a horticultural creation by Walter Welch dating back to 1958 classified in the horticultural category of Miniature Dwarf Bearded Irises (MDB), and possesses the genes of Iris pumila, among others, which blooms in rocky meadows in Central Europe and Asia. All these plants belong to the Iridaceae family.

Irs 'Crispy' Iris forms small upright clumps of deciduous foliage from spring. The plant will reach 18 cm (7in) high when flowering, and the clump will spread without a theoretical limit over time, with the centre rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of thin and long sword-shaped, slightly glaucous green leaves. Short flowering stems appear in March and bloom in April, earlier or later depending on the climate. The flowering stems generally bear a solitary flower at their tip which is quite large in comparison to the plant. The white flower has three upright petals above 3 large drooping sepals. The beards are light yellow.

To accompany  dwarf irises, choose plants based on their needs (exposure, soil...), growth (low-growing plants or light foliage), decorative appearance and flowering date. For example, Gauras will cast little shade on them and will keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout the summer. Eschscholzia will be happy with dry and poor soil, just like iris. Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also accompany irises very well. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilised by a dense planting of old diploid varieties that require little care.

Use the entire range of irises for rockeries, stony and dry meadows, limestone plateaus, rocky slopes and green roofs. Border edges are usually the domain of border irises, but can also accomodate dwarf irises!