Iris x hollandica Apollo

The Iris (x) hollandica 'Apollo' is a particularly bright variety of Dutch Iris. This bulbous iris produces a large bi-colour flower with white-blue petals and primrose yellow sepals marked by a beautiful butter yellow spot in the centre. They appear in late spring, in May-June, earlier or later depending on the climate, and bloom for 2 to 3 weeks. Elegant and vividly coloured, the stylized flowers of Dutch Iris stand out in the garden and in bouquets. They are easy to grow in full sun, in fertile and well-drained soil.

Dutch Iris, or bulbous iris, have an underground reserve organ in the form of a bulb, unlike their famous cousins, the Iris germanica or Garden Iris. Belonging to the same botanical family as the latter, the iridaceae family, they also differ by the absence of "beards", those pretty little fluffy and coloured tongues found on the drooping sepals of Iris germanica. The first Iris (x) hollandica never grew wild in Dutch soil, but they are the result of cross-breeding between two main botanical species: Iris filifolia, sometimes confused with Iris xyphium that resembles it, both originating from Spain and North Africa, and Iris tingitana, from Tangier and Northern Morocco. The genealogy of Dutch hybrids is sometimes confusing, but the result is always remarkable. Their flowers, somewhat underused in the garden, are highly appreciated in floristry.

The Apollo cultivar forms over time an erect and very narrow clump of 50 cm (20in) when in bloom. This perennial spreads indefinitely through the production of bulblets. This cultivar blooms in late spring, usually in May-June, for 2 to 3 weeks, on sturdy stems that withstand the wind. Its solitary or paired flowers on the stems, measuring up to 15 cm (6in) in diameter, are relatively slender compared to those of Iris germanica, but undeniably elegant. Each flower consists of 3 upright, slender, translucent petals, small in size, with a slightly mauve, slightly bluish hue. Beneath this trio, there are 3 almost horizontal sepals, closely linked to the white and toothed petaloid styles, arranged in quincunx. Slightly wider, they are slightly spatulate, of a tender yellow colour, warmed by a beautiful dark yellow spot. Each flower can live 5 to 7 days, even in a vase. The bulb is round, 2 to 3 cm (1in) wide, covered with a fibrous tunic of a rosy beige colour. It produces a few linear, thin and tough leaves, somewhat resembling those of a grass, with a slightly glaucous green colour, often slightly striated and folded in half towards the ground. They often appear in autumn, persist to varying degrees depending on the severity of the winter, and dry out during the summer, during the dormant period.

Less known and less used by gardeners than Iris germanica, Dutch Iris are nevertheless easy to cultivate in fertile and light soil, with undeniable elegance, and also indifferent to wild weeds that struggle to infiltrate their very vertical clumps. Plant them in groups of 10 to 20 bulbs of the same variety; they will come back year after year to offer you more and more refined and joyful flowers, which go well with the spring flowering of flowering shrubs. They are also stunning when planted among perennials such as peonies and daylilies, which will mask their absence in summer, when they are dormant. Their Mediterranean origins make them highly adapted to summer drought. Finally, pick their flowers to make bouquets with roses, arums or lilies, or even late tulips. All irises need a sunny exposure to bloom well. Give them at least half a day of full sun.