Dutch Iris Discovery

Please Note: Due to pre existing Quarantine laws we cannot send any bulbs to Western Australia and Tasmania. You may need to find bulb suppliers in your areas. Sorry we can't help you. 

Our most popular variety. Luxuriant purple petals with a brush of gold on the falls.

Exotic and hardy plants perfect for late spring colour. Dutch Iris are one of the tallest spring bulbs available, making them ideal for planting at the back of beds and borders. They look best when planted in groups or swathes. Their straight stems are also excellent for picking.

The foliage of Dutch Iris is mid green, narrow, and upright. It is the perfect complement to the blooms and easy to weave into almost any garden scheme. You can even grow them in large containers or pots.

Dutch Iris are delightfully hardy bulbs, which will easily naturalise to give you years of increasing colour. Plant 10-15cm deep in any well-drained soil. Ideally prepare your soil prior to planting, by digging through some well rotted cow manure, to give the bulbs a head start.

Water Dutch Iris to establish, then you only need bother if rainfall is low, as they become dry tolerant as they mature. Keep relatively dry during dormancy. Choose a spot with at least six hours of sun a day. Fertilise with a general purpose fertiliser annually, when they are in bloom.

Allow foliage to stand after flowering. You can cut it back once it has yellowed and the bulb goes into dormancy. Dutch Iris are relatively trouble free, but it is a good idea to protect new growth from slugs and snails, and keep an eye out for aphids as the weather warms up.

If you are pushed for space in the garden, try companion planting your Dutch Iris with salad greens in the veggie plot. You can pick the blooms and harvest the leaves at the same time. Plant more greens as needed and they will help hide the fading foliage.

Growing Conditions Detailed
Family: Iridaceae
Plant/bulb type: True bulb.
Planting time
Late Summer to Autumn

Height
80cm or taller.

Depth & spacing
10-15cm deep & 10-15cm apart. 

Aspect
Full sun to light shade.

Soil
Free draining & friable.

Watering
Start watering when growth appears and keep soil slightly moist until foliage dies off after flowering. It is ideal to keep bulbs relatively dry whilst dormant.

Fertilising
Top dress with a complete fertiliser each Autumn. Eg: Blood & Bone.

Flowering time
Late Spring.

After flowering care
These bulbs can dug each year or left in the ground to naturalise.

Comments
Dutch Iris are an excellent source of colour for late Spring. Their stately blooms are also excellent as cut flowers.

Climates
Subtropical to cool.