Iris 'Pal Sam'

About

A cultivar of Iris in the family Iridaceae, Iris 'Pal Sam' produces its flowering display from May to July. The plant is grown for its seasonal blooms that appear in late spring and early summer. Positioning where those months' colour is wanted makes the most of its flowering period.

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

A cultivar of the genus Iris (family Iridaceae), Iris 'Pal Sam' brings its bloom season to the garden between May and July. The cultivar sits within a group of plants valued for a concentrated spring-to-early-summer flowering window, so plan plantings to take advantage of that timing rather than expecting extended seasonal bloom. Select a site with good light and reliably free-draining soil; avoid locations that hold cold wet winter water. If grown with neighbouring perennials, give the clump enough space so the flowering stems can be seen without being swamped by later-rising foliage. Routine maintenance is limited to removing spent flower stems to keep the display tidy after the May–July run. Iris 'Pal Sam' suits mixed perennial borders and paved-edge planting where a defined short-season display is useful; it can also be placed where its bloom dates fill a gap between earlier spring bulbs and high-summer perennials. Because the flowering window is clear, choose companions that either flower before or after May to July to maintain continuous interest. Position the cultivar where its flowers will be visible from paths or seating for the specific months when it is in bloom.

More in the Iris genus

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