IRIS PALLIDA AUREA VARIEGATA

IRIS PALLIDA AUREA VARIEGATA
Grower Notes:

The Variegated Sweet Iris (Iris pallida 'Aurea Variegata') is also known as the Dalmatian Iris is prized not only for its flowers but primarily for its spectacular, all-season foliage. The stiff, sword-like leaves are dramatically striped with bold vertical bands of golden-yellow and blue-green, providing an architectural accent and vibrant color contrast to the garden from spring until fall, long after the blooms have faded. Rising to a height of 15-18 inches, it produces sweetly fragrant, pale lavender-blue or lilac-purple bearded flowers with soft yellow beards in late spring to early summer. This particular cultivar is noted for its vigor, deer and rabbit resistance, and relative tolerance for partial shade, though its variegation will be most intense in brighter sun.

Variegated Sweet Iris thrives in full sun to partial shade and in well-drained soil, as the rhizomes are prone to rot in standing water. When planting, the rhizome should be placed shallowly with the top exposed or barely covered, especially in cooler climates. Once established, this iris is quite drought-tolerant, requiring only moderate water; avoid mulching directly over the rhizome. To maintain plant health and encourage blooming, divide the clumps every few years in late summer or early fall. Remove the spent flower stalks after the bloom and trim the foliage back to a few inches in the late fall to minimize the risk of pests.