Iris sibirica Purplelicious - Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Purplelicious' is a Siberian Iris with spectacular flowers, intensely purple and irresistibly eye-catching. The velvety petals are crossed by a network of dark veins and their base is splashed with a sparkling indigo mixed with white. They bloom in June and July on an upright plant of medium size. Siberian irises are beautiful plants for wet or moist soil, loved for the grace and elegance of their flowers and fine foliage. They form sculptural, vigorous clumps, as beautiful in a contemporary garden as in a romantic one, and are essential near water.

Iris sibirica 'Purplelicious' is a rhizomatous and deciduous perennial plant, with a clumping habit from spring onwards. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the many cultivars obtained from Iris sibirica, native to central Europe, eastern Europe, and Turkey, but absent from Siberia, and Iris sanguinea, present in China, Siberia, Japan, Manchuria, and Korea. This iris reaches a height of 70 cm, 1 m when in bloom, and the clump spreads over 50 to 70 cm. Its growth is moderate, slower than  Iris germanica. The 'Purplelicious' Siberian Iris has an upright, elegant habit, forming dense clumps. The foliage consists of long, narrow green leaves. In late spring and early summer, the flower stems project above the foliage with flowers of 3 sepals and 3 petals opening from the tip of the stem to the lower branches. They are a stunning violet, marked with indigo and white. This iris spreads through rhizomes.

The 'Purplelicious' Siberian iris tolerates a wet situation, for example on a riverbank, as long as it is not permanently submerged. It can also be grown in ordinary garden soil, as long as it remains moist. It prefers acidic to neutral (pH 4.5 to 8), rich and well-drained soil. On the edge of a pond or stream, or simply in moist soil, it is irreplaceable. Its grace is perfectly suited to romantic gardens, English gardens, and other mixed borders. It can be grown in wet or moist soil, in the sun with summer snowflakes, camassias, daylilies, delphiniums, and columbines with which it forms a mass of flowering perennials from April to July. In a contemporary garden, it can be planted on the edge of a water feature alongside hostas or astilbes in partial shade.

Good to know: The wild Siberian Iris is an endangered and protected species that must be respected. Horticultural Siberian irises are hybrids of different species from the Sibiricae series (I. sanguinea, etc.). Their flowers are larger than those of wild forms and come in various colours. Several hundred named cultivars are registered.