Iris sibirica Paprikash - Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Paprikash' is a captivating variety with large flowers in spicy tones and a delicate sweet scent. They bloom in spring, carried by fairly short stems that emerge from a dense clump of leaves. Appreciated for their graceful flowers and sculptural foliage, Siberian irises are vigorous and beautiful plants for moist soils, unlike their cousins the German irises. They are adaptable and very hardy irises, which will thrive in good garden soil that remains moist in summer. Indispensable near water features, as long as the roots are not submerged in winter, they are perfect for romantic, Japanese, English, and even contemporary gardens. This 'Paprikash' variety has won awards in iris competitions in the USA.

Iris sibirica 'Paprikash' is a creation by Marty Schafer and Jan Sacks (USA) dating back to 2012. It is a rhizomatous and deciduous perennial plant, with an upright clump-forming habit starting from spring. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained from I. sibirica, native to central Europe, eastern Europe, and Turkey (but absent from Siberia), and I. sanguinea found in China, Siberia, Japan, Manchuria, and Korea. 'Paprikash' will reach approximately 51cm (20in) in height when in bloom, 50cm (20in) in height for the foliage, and the clump will spread over about 50cm (20in). Its growth rate is moderate, slower than that of German irises. This plant has an upright, elegant habit with dense clumps. The foliage consists of long, narrow leaves with a slightly greyish-green colour. From early May to early June, depending on the region, the flower stalks project above the foliage, bearing flowers with 3 sepals, 3 petaloid styles, and 3 petals. They are solitary and open successively from the tip of the stem to the lower branches. The small, upright pale-yellow petals are veined and speckled with deep red, the broad styles are light apricot with a vivid red-violet base. The wider sepals, in an apricot colour, are heavily speckled with red and have a beautiful bright yellow signal at the base. This iris spreads through rhizomes, and its foliage disappears in winter.　

'Paprikash' is perfect near a water feature or a stream, or simply in very moist soil. It is also suitable for any type of garden that never dries out. Its grace is well-suited for romantic gardens, English gardens, and other mixed borders. It can be combined in moist soil with numerous perennials that thrive in similar conditions: camassias, poet's narcissus, montbretias, daylilies, astilbes, for example.

Note: The wild Siberian iris (Iris sibirica L.) is an endangered and protected species that must be respected. Horticultural Siberian irises are the result of hybridisation between different species of the Sibericae series (I. sanguinea, etc.). Their flowers are larger than those of wild forms and come in various colours. Several hundred named cultivars have been registered.