Iris 'Dance Ballerina Dance'

Iris 'Dance Ballerina Dance': Rare Rose Pink Among the Purples

Ruffled lavender-pink falls under pale, near-white standards, like a tutu frozen mid-spin. 'Dance Ballerina Dance' takes the stage every spring and NAILS EVERY PIROUETTE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Iris sibirica 'Dance Ballerina Dance'
• Common Name: Siberian Iris
• Height: 60–80 cm (24–32 in)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Flowers: Ruffled lavender-rose pink falls with lighter edges, under near-white standards with a light pinkish violet wash
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June)
• Foliage: Narrow, upright, grass-like green leaves
• Features: Tolerates moist soil

Where to Plant: It suits the middle of a border, the edge of a pond, or a damp corner that stays wet in spring, and the grassy clump keeps the border looking neat after bloom. It handles clay soils and cold winters well, which makes it a good fit for Ontario and Quebec gardens.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Dance Ballerina Dance' in a moist bed in sun or part shade with pink hellebores and white turtleheads for fall. Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Rosetta opens soft pink flowers at 45 to 60 cm from March to May. Aruncus aethusifolius adds creamy dwarf goat's beard sprays at 25 to 45 cm in June and July. Chelone 'Black Ace' brings white turtleheads over dark stems at 120 to 150 cm from August to October. Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' edges the front with black tufts at 15 to 25 cm.

Plant Care: Plant it in full sun to part sun, in moist, fertile soil that leans slightly acidic. Set the crown about 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) deep. Keep it watered through the first season and during dry spells, since Siberian irises flower best with steady moisture. Cut spent flower stems down after bloom. Cut the foliage back in late fall or early spring. Divide the clump when the centre starts to die out, usually every several years, in late summer or early spring. Replant the divisions quickly so the roots don't dry out.

History: Steve Varner bred 'Dance Ballerina Dance', a tetraploid Siberian iris registered in 1982 and introduced in 1983. It earned an Honorable Mention in 1985 and an Award of Merit in 1987, then won the Morgan-Wood Medal, the top American Iris Society award for Siberian irises, in 1989.

Final Thoughts: Deer resistant and fine with moist soil. Plant a few and give your garden its own recital. STANDING OVATION, PLEASE.