Get the AppSell with Us

About

Iris 'Picador' is a tall bearded Iris cultivar in the family Iridaceae, raised for its pronounced summer flowering display. It produces erect flowering stems that carry its blooms from May to July. The cultivar suits firm rooting in open soil and is often grown for borders and cutting. Plants arise from short, spreading rhizomes and form clumps that benefit from periodic lifting and division.

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 'Picador' belongs to the bearded group of the genus Iris and sits within the Iridaceae family; it is a cultivated variety selected for its tall flowering habit. Flowering runs from May to July, a reliable mid-late spring into mid-summer window that makes it useful for extending the season of architectural blooms in temperate gardens. Select a sunny, well-drained position where the rhizomes sit at or just below the soil surface; excessive winter wet is unfavourable for most tall bearded irises. Plant so the upper surface of the rhizome is level with the soil, firm the soil around it and avoid deep mulches that keep the crown too damp. Once established, reduce supplemental watering in summer to encourage compact clump formation and sound rhizome health. After three to four years a clump may be split to maintain vigour: lift, trim older roots and replant healthy sections with a short fan of leaves. Iris 'Picador' performs well in mixed borders, on gravelly banks where soil drains freely, and in containers with sharp compost. The long, straight flower stems make it particularly suitable for cutting, allowing May to July blooms to be staged indoors without loss of stem length.

More in the Iris genus

Browse all Iris →
← Plant Directory