Iris 'Play with Fire'

Iris 'Play with Fire': Crimson Ruffles With Matching Red Beards

Heavily ruffled crimson red, beards and all. 'Play with Fire' is that ex your friends warned you about, except this one is DROUGHT TOLERANT AND ACTUALLY WORTH IT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Iris germanica 'Play with Fire' (tall bearded iris)
• Common Name: Bearded Iris
• Height: 90 cm (35–36 in)
• Spread: 30–60 cm (12–24 in)
• Flowers: Heavily ruffled crimson red with matching beards
• Bloom Time: Early summer (June)
• Foliage: Upright, sword-shaped blue-green leaves

Where to Plant: Give it a spot in the middle or back of a sunny border where the deep red can glow, as a focal point in a hot-colour bed or a dark accent among pastels. In heavy clay, plant it on a slope or in a raised bed so the rhizomes stay dry.

Companion Plants: Use crimson 'Play with Fire' in a sunny, dry bed with violet salvia, pink catmint and a pink haze of grass. Sedum SunSparkler® 'Lime Zinger' edges the front at 10 to 15 cm with lime leaves and pink flowers. Salvia Marcus® adds compact violet-blue spikes at 25 to 30 cm in June and July. Nepeta Whispurr™ Pink brings pink catmint spikes at 61 to 71 cm from June to September. Eragrostis spectabilis adds a pink-purple haze at 30 to 60 cm from July to September.

Plant Care: Plant the rhizome with its top at the soil surface and the roots spread below. Don't bury it or pile mulch on top. Water through the first season, then only in long droughts. Cut spent flower stalks down to the base after bloom. Trim any brown or damaged leaves through summer, and clear away dead foliage in late fall to reduce iris borer. Divide every three to five years, in July or August, when the clump becomes crowded and blooms start to drop off.

History: 'Play with Fire' was introduced in 1987 by Schreiner's, the Oregon family nursery known for its tall bearded irises. It earned an Honorable Mention from the American Iris Society in 1989.

Final Thoughts: Full sun and deer resistant. Plant it near the patio and let things heat up. YOU WERE WARNED.