Botanic name: Iris reticulata                  Common name: Netted Iris.

Iris: Named after Iris the Greek goddess of the rainbow, and of the sea and the sky.

Reticulatus/a/um: Netted; with a net like pattern

Iris reticulata hails from Russia, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. They are small plants (up to 15cm) and you can find them in the garden centers, normally in the bedding section in late winter/ early spring as they are early spring flowering and are a beautiful contribution to the spring garden. They have grey/green square to tubular, sharply-pointed, ribbed leaves. Their flowers are yellow, blue or purple with an orange/yellow blaze on the ‘tongue’. They are known as the Netted Iris because of the fibrous ‘net’ that surrounds the bulb (I love the description of plants found within their botanic names! – plant name geek!)

Iris reticulata are hardy but prefer a soil that dries out in winter. If your soil is winter wet, lift them after flowering and overwinter in pots in a sheltered dry place. Plant out in late winter/early spring as the leaves start shooting.

They grow in all soil types and prefer full sun. They do great in pots or rock gardens, although we have them on the edge of the borders, and also in the house!

Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin‘, Iris ‘George‘ and Iris ‘Pixie‘ all have RHS Awards of Garden Merit. You can’t go wrong with a cluster of Iris reticulata in your planting design.