Iris pumila 'Lady in Red'
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Iris pumila 'Lady in Red': Pint-Sized Iris in Real Red
Soft red with a brighter red overlay and a gold and purple beard. 'Lady in Red' walks into the rock garden and every head turns, even the gnome's. SHE'S SHORT, BUT SHE'S THE MAIN EVENT.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Iris 'Lady in Red' (Standard Dwarf Bearded hybrid of Iris pumila)
- Common Name: Dwarf Bearded Iris
- Height: 30 cm (12 in)
- Spread: 35 cm (14 in)
- Flowers: Soft red with a brighter red overlay and a gold and purple beard
- Bloom Time: Late spring (May to June)
- Foliage: Short, upright, sword-shaped green leaves
Where to Plant: Use it at the front of a sunny border, in a rock garden or raised bed, or along a path where you can see it up close. It suits containers and troughs too. Plant it in groups of three or more so the colour reads from a distance.
Companion Plants: Tuck 'Lady in Red' at the front of a sunny, dry bed with a thyme carpet, lavender and tall black hollyhocks. Thymus 'Elfin' creeps at 2 to 8 cm with lavender-pink flowers in July and August. Lavandula Sensational!Âź adds fragrant deep violet spikes at 60 to 75 cm from July to September. Alcea 'Blacknight' rises at the back to 150 to 180 cm with black-purple hollyhocks in July and August. Pennisetum Prairie WindsÂź 'Desert Plains' adds red-tipped blades at 90 to 120 cm.
Plant Care: Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Wet soil causes rot, so avoid low spots and loosen heavy clay with grit, or use a raised bed. Set the rhizome with its top at or just above the soil surface. Water during the first season. After that it handles dry spells well. Keep mulch off the rhizomes and avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer. Remove flower stalks after blooming and tidy dead leaves in fall. Divide every three to four years, in mid to late summer, when the clump gets crowded.
History: Iris pumila is a small wild iris from the dry grasslands of central and eastern Europe into Central Asia. In the mid-20th century, breeders crossed it with tall bearded irises to create the Standard Dwarf Bearded class, keeping its short height and early bloom while adding a wider range of colours, including reds.
Final Thoughts: Deer resistant and low maintenance. Give her full sun and a front-row spot. SAVE HER A DANCE.