Because new Iris varieties are introduced at the rate of more than a thousand a year, it's difficult, even for Iris fanciers, to find the classic beauties among the many debutantes. 'Celebration Song' has had no trouble filling its dance card. Its apricot-pink standards and lavender-blue falls create an ensemble that is, well, cause for celebration. A vigorous grower with up to 12 buds per stem, enough to span the entire bloom season.
Winner of the Dykes Medal in 2003. The Dykes Medal is the Nobel prize of the Iris world, given annually to just one Tall Bearded Iris. Plants so recognized are famous for generations, but most important, they are superior garden plants.
Iris is a large genus with upwards of 200 species, which range from inconspicuous wildlings to the extravagant Tall Bearded Iris, which we offer in fall only. Plenty of sun and well-drained soil with a pH near neutral are the primary requirements for their success. Bearded Iris are best planted in the fall because they go dormant in June and are harvested in August. We start shipping bareroot plants in early September, continue to late October for warmer zones. For Zones 3–4 (yes, they are hardy in Zone 3), we recommend early orders, which we will fill in early to mid-September.
