Iris Thornbird - Tall Bearded Iris

Iris Thornbird is a variety of Bearded Iris that stands out with its light fawn colour washed with a hint of green and infused with lilac on the sepals, and magnificent beards extended by a violet spur. Not just beautiful, the flowers are also gently fragrant. The foliage is tinged with purple at the base. This robust and prolific cultivar, which often produces several stems per rhizome, has been awarded on numerous occasions. 

Iris 'Thornbird' is a rhizomatous, deciduous perennial plant that develops elegantly upright tufts, belonging to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained for 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 crave sunlight, with their rhizomes needing to 'cook' in summer in order to flower. A minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day is generally required.

Iris 'Thornbird' reaches a height of 89-90 cm (35in) when in bloom, making it impressively tall, but susceptible to wind and rain. The clump will spread without theoretical limit over time, with the centre 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 tinged with purple-violet at the base. Floral stems appear in April with well-proportioned and slightly wavy large flowers blooming in May-June from the top to the lower branches. This variety blooms just after the middle of the iris season. Each rhizome produces 1 to 3 branched floral stems, each bearing 3-4 flowers in bloom at the same time. Each wide and slightly wavy flower is composed of 3 upright petals and 3 almost horizontal, wider sepals. The petals are pale ecru and the greenish-brown sepals are infused with lilac and crossed by violet lines radiating around the beard. The beard is mustard-coloured at the base, then violet, ending with a violet spur. The colours are magnified by the thick and iridescent texture of the floral parts. The flowers have a sweet scent.

Breeder: Monty Byers (USA), 1989

Awards: Honorable Mention 1991, Award of Merit 1993, Wister Medal 1996, Dykes Medal 1997. Award of Garden Merit (RHS) 2000.

To accompany irises, choose plants based on their needs (exposure, soil...), growth (low plants or light foliage), decorative appearance and flowering date. For example, Gauras will cast little shade on irises and keep the faded iris bed attractive throughout the summer. California Poppies and Love-in-a-Mist will be satisfied with dry soil in summer, just like irises. Perennial 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. If the goal is more decorative and access for care is possible, you can choose more modern varieties, for example intermediates that are less likely to be laid flat by wind and rain.

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