Iris reticulata White Caucasus - Netted iris

The Iris reticulata 'White Caucasus' is a beautiful white form of the reticulated iris. This hybrid variety, probably the best in this colour, offers crystalline white flowers from the end of winter, enhanced by a narrow crest of bright yellow in the center of the sepals. This small, sturdy bulbous plant, perfectly hardy, blooms in February-March and adapts well to montane or Mediterranean climates. A very pretty rockery and container plant, to be planted in a well-drained soil.

The Iris reticulata is a perennial plant of the family Iridaceae, native to the mountains of the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. This iris is very hardy (up to -34°C (-29.2°F)) and easy to grow in a well-drained soil. 'White Caucasus', from which it originates, is a recent Canadian hybrid with complex parentage. The plant develops from a storage organ, which is an elongated bulb 2 to 3 cm (1in) tall, covered with a white epidermis. It blooms from the end of February, or in March depending on the climate, before the foliage appears, making it valuable in the garden. The flowers, 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) wide, are carried by stems about 12 cm (5in) tall. They are large compared to the size of the plant and appear to emerge directly from the ground. They consist of 3 upright inner tepals dominating 3 more horizontal outer tepals adorned with a yellow midline. The whiteness of the petals is magnified here by a slightly translucent, opalescent substance. They are lightly scented. The foliage develops when the flowers fade, forming a clump of narrow, stiff, pointed leaves, up to a maximum of 20 cm (8in) tall. It is at this point that the bulb divides into several bulblets, allowing the plant to colonize its environment.

The Iris reticulata White Caucasus can be grown in pots as well as in sunny borders or rockeries. Its only requirements are well-drained soil and a sunny exposure. It can be associated with other early-flowering small bulbs, such as snowdrops, spring crocuses, or botanical and early tulips. It also pairs well with hellebores. Plant them in groups of 15 bulbs to quickly create beautiful splashes of colour at the end of winter. Finally, it is a plant that should thrive in an alpine trough, just like Dodecatheon, Globularia cordifolia, or Saxifraga 'Pixie'.