Iris Skyfire - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris Skyfire remains one of the best orange bearded irises created to date, due to the bright, fiery and solid colour of its large flowers adorned with beautiful bright orange beards. Its flowers are beautifully wavy and gently fragrant in spring, in the middle of the iris season. The plant will quickly form beautiful clumps in sunny borders.

Iris 'Skyfire' is a rhizomatous, deciduous perennial plant that develops from spring in elegantly upright clumps from spring. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over the centuries, whose controversial origin is debated around the number of chromosomes of potential ancestors. It should be noted that Garden Irises have European origins. They thrive in chalky soils and require plenty of sunlight, with their rhizomes needing to 'cook' in summer to be able to flower. A minimum of 6 hours of sun per day is usually required.

Iris 'Skyfire' will reach a height of 90-91 cm (35-36in) at flowering, it is a tall variety which can be affected by wind and rain. The clump will spread without a theoretical limit over time, with the central rhizomes thinning out in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long, wide sword-shaped, slightly glaucous green leaves, crossed by parallel veins. Floral stems appear in April with large, well-proportioned and slightly wavy flowers in May which bloom from the top to the lower branches. This variety flowers in the middle of the iris season, with well-branched flower stems, each capable of bearing up to 6 flowers. The golden orange to amber colour is enhanced by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral parts.

Obtained by Schreiner (USA), 1980

Award: Honorable Mention in 1982.

To accompany 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 the irises and will keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout the summer. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist will tolerate dry soil in summer, just like the irises. Perennial Geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also go very well with irises. Slopes and terraced edges can be stabilised by a dense planting of old diploid varieties that require little care. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible, you can choose more modern varieties, such as intermediates that are less likely to be flattened by wind and rain.

The vegetable garden can be embellished with a few clumps or borders of irises for cut flowers.