Iris 'Can't Touch This' (TB) (tall bearded iris 'Can't Touch This') — Clump forming

Overview

Iris 'Can't Touch This' (TB) is a clump forming herbaceous perennial in the genus Iris, part of the Iridaceae family, with deciduous foliage. Iris 'Can't Touch This' (TB) grows best in full sun, and tolerates loam soils and neutral pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H6. Suggested uses include city and courtyard gardens, cottage and informal garden, patio and container plants, cut flowers and flower borders and beds.

About

Iris 'Can't Touch This' is a tall bearded iris cultivar that produces upright flowering stems topped with bearded blooms. It is a clump-forming, herbaceous perennial with deciduous leaves. Flowering occurs from May to July. Plant in full sun on neutral, well-drained loam in a sheltered south-, east- or west-facing spot.

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 'Can't Touch This' is a cultivated selection within the genus Iris (family Iridaceae) that flowers from May to July. As a tall bearded iris it grows as a clump-forming herbaceous perennial with deciduous foliage and produces the long stems that make it useful for garden structure and cutting. Its growth habit suits formal rows or grouped plantings where the stems can be seen and supported. Give this iris a sunny, sheltered position in neutral loam that drains freely; avoid heavy, waterlogged soils. It copes with a British H6 rating (very hardy) but benefits from a south-, east- or west-facing aspect to encourage strong flowering. Keep soil moisture moderate and do not bury the rhizomes deeply — good surface drainage over the root crown is important for healthy clumps. In the garden it works well in flower borders and beds, city courtyard containers, cottage-style fronts and as a reliable source of cut flowers. Positioning at the front to middle of a border allows the deciduous leaves to die back without obscuring adjacent plants. After flowering, divide and reset crowded clumps to restore vigour and maintain the size and quality of subsequent blooms.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Iris

Sunlight: Full sun
Soil type: Loam
Soil pH: Neutral
Soil moisture: Well-drained
Aspect: South-facing, East-facing, West-facing
Exposure: Sheltered
UK hardiness: H6

Plant details

Iris 'Can't Touch This' (TB) size, habit and characteristics

Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
Habit: Clump forming
Foliage: Deciduous
Suggested uses: City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Cut flowers, Flower borders and beds