Iris Sorcellerie - Bearded Iris

Iris 'Sorcellerie' may not be the most floriferous among the Grand Garden Irises, but it has an unusual, quite soft and pleasant colour. This offspring of the Macaron and Ciel Gris sur Poilly varieties has beautifully formed flowers, with soft yellow petals dominating cream sepals that are curiously speckled, veined and bordered with red-violet. It is a late variety, with a flowering stem that is less sensitive to wind and rain.

The 'Sorcellerie' Iris is a perennial rhizomatous deciduous plant that develops in elegantly upright clumps from spring. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained over 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 are plants that thrive in limestone soils and require plenty of sunshine, with their rhizomes needing to 'bake' in summer in order to flower. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

'Sorcellerie' will reach a height of 80 cm (32in) when in flower, with 5 to 6 buds per stem. The clump will spread indefinitely over time, with the central rhizomes becoming bare in favour of the outer rhizomes. The foliage consists of long and wide sword-shaped, slightly glaucous green leaves, with parallel veins running through them. Floral stems appear in April with bicoloured flowers in May-June, opening from the top towards the lower branches. They consist of 3 pale yellow upright, slightly wavy petals, dominating 3 almost horizontal sepals, frilly at the edges, with violet to purple patterns on a very pale yellow background. The beards are a very warm golden yellow, tending towards orange. The colour is magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral parts.

Obtained by Cayeux, 2018.

To accompany irises, plants should be chosen based on their needs (exposure, soil...), growth (low-growing or light foliage plants, non-competitive plants), decorative appearance and flowering date. For example, Gauras will provide little shade to irises and will keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout summer. California Poppies and cornflowers will also thrive in dry soil, just like irises. Perennial geraniums, salvias, and Libertia also pair well with irises. Slopes, bases of small trees with light foliage, and terraced edges can be stabilised by a dense planting of old varieties that 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 to be knocked down by wind and rain.

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