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About

Iris 'Antigone' is a tall-bearded cultivar of Iris in the Iridaceae, notable for its upright bearded flower spikes. It flowers from May to July. Clumps carry erect, sword-like leaves that support the flowering stems above the foliage. It suits positions where the clumps can remain largely undisturbed for several seasons.

About the genus

Iris takes its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, and for once the naming feels entirely earned. I can't think of another genus that covers so much ground — inky purples, burnt apricots, clean whites, blues that seem lit from inside — or so many situations. There are bearded irises that want their rhizomes baked in full sun, Siberian types happy in ordinary border soil, and species that will sit contentedly at the edge of a pond. What they share is the flower: three petals standing up, three falling away, built with a kind of architectural confidence most plants never attempt. Even out of bloom the foliage earns its place — those upright fans of blue-green leaves hold a border together for months. I grow them for the fortnight in May and June when nothing else in the garden can compete, and I've made my peace with that. Some plants are for the long haul. An iris is an event.

Written by Henry

In the garden

Iris 'Antigone' is a named cultivar within the genus Iris and belongs to the Iridaceae. As a tall-bearded type, it produces the familiar bearded blooms on upright stems, with flowers reliably appearing from May to July in the UK garden. Plant on a firm, well-drained site where water will not sit around the crowns; specialised bearded irises perform best when their rhizomes are planted close to the soil surface and given good air movement. Choose a sunny or lightly shaded spot and avoid heavy, waterlogged ground. After flowering, allow the leaves to ripen to feed the rhizomes and divide crowded clumps when flowering declines. In a UK setting, Iris 'Antigone' works well as a structural element in a mixed herbaceous border, at the back of a gravel bed, or as a short, architectural accent in large containers. Cut flowering stems for the vase and remove spent stems to prevent unwanted seeding, leaving the foliage to continue photosynthesising into the crown before reducing it for tidiness in autumn.

More in the Iris genus

Browse all Iris →
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