Get the AppSell with Us

About

Iris 'Saharan Sun' is a tall-bearded iris (Iris, family Iridaceae) noted for its May–July flowering display. It forms the upright, fan-shaped leaves and stout rhizomes typical of bearded irises. Flowers appear on erect stems above the foliage and provide a clear early-summer presence in the border. Plants are best treated as clump-forming rhizomes that respond to periodic 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 'Saharan Sun' is a named tall-bearded iris in the genus Iris, family Iridaceae, flowering in the UK from May to July. As a TB iris it carries blooms on upright scapes above sword-like leaves, arising from shallow rhizomes that sit close to the soil surface. The cultivar name indicates its placement within the tall-bearded group rather than botanical origin. Handle planting and maintenance as you would other tall-bearded irises: position the rhizomes so they are near the soil surface rather than buried deeply, keep the root-run well drained, and avoid prolonged waterlogging. Space clumps to allow air around the foliage and reduce disease risk; lift and divide congested clumps every few years to renew flowering vigour. Remove spent flower stems to prevent seed set and tidy the display, but leave the foliage intact until it yellows so the rhizome can store energy for the next season. In a UK garden, Iris 'Saharan Sun' suits the front or middle of an herbaceous border, a sunny mixed bed, or a specialised iris collection where its May–July bloom period bridges into early summer perennials. Dividing and replanting at intervals keeps the cultivar flowering well under UK conditions.

More in the Iris genus

Browse all Iris →
← Plant Directory