Iris x hollandica Sapphire Beauty

The Iris hollandica 'Sapphire Beauty' is a classic variety of Dutch Iris, with truly blue flowers. This bulbous iris produces large, brightly coloured flowers in late spring, for 2 to 3 weeks. They have a stylish shape, which stands out for their elegance in the garden as well as in bouquets. 'Sapphire Beauty', with a blue hue touched with violet-indigo on the reverse, is marked with a beautiful golden yellow spot surrounded by a fine white margin in the center of each sepal. 

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

The 'Sapphire Beauty' cultivar forms over time an erect and very dense clump of 50-55 cm (20-22in) when in bloom, and this perennial spreads indefinitely through the production of bulblets. This cultivar flowers in late spring, usually in May-June, for 2 to 3 weeks, on wind-resistant stems. Its solitary or paired flowers on the stems, measuring up to 10 cm (4in) in diameter, are relatively slender compared to those of the Iris germanica, but undeniably elegant. Each flower consists of 3 upright, translucent, small-sized petals. Beneath this trio, 3 sepals first stand upright, then droop at their tips, closely attached to the dentate petal-like styles. Slightly wider, they are slightly spatulate, marked with a beautiful spot of bright yellow. Each flower can live for 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 leathery 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 a greater or lesser extent depending on the severity of the winter, and dry out in summer during the dormant period.

Less well-known and less used by gardeners than Iris germanica, Dutch Iris are nevertheless easy to grow in fertile and light soil, with undeniable elegance, but 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 return year after year to offer you more and more refined and joyful flowers, which blend well with the spring flowering of flowering shrubs. They also look stunning alongside ornamental garlic, planted among perennials such as California poppies, peonies, and daylilies, which will cover their absence in summer when they are dormant. Their Mediterranean origins give them excellent adaptation to summer drought. Finally, pick their flowers to create bouquets with roses, arums, or even late tulips. All irises need a sunny exposure to bloom well. Provide them with at least half a day of full sun.