About

Iris 'Tiger Blues' (Spuria) is a named Spuria iris cultivar notable for its May to July flowering. It belongs to the genus Iris and the family Iridaceae. As a cultivated selection, it will be of interest to gardeners who collect or display irises. Expect a seasonal show concentrated in late spring and early summer.

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 'Tiger Blues' (Spuria) is a cultivar within the genus Iris, family Iridaceae, and produces its main display from May to July. As a Spuria selection it sits within the broader iris tradition of named garden varieties; its peak interest lies in that defined flowering window when it contributes to seasonal succession. Planting and ongoing care align with general practices applied to garden irises: place it where you can observe its flowering season, allow space for the clump to develop and monitor stems as they emerge in spring. Timing tasks such as staking for display or removing spent flowerheads should follow the plant's May–July bloom period so that any interventions respect its natural cycle. In a UK planting scheme, use Iris 'Tiger Blues' (Spuria) to coordinate with other late-spring and early-summer perennials and bulbs so their peak periods overlap or follow smoothly. Because the cultivar's defining characteristic is its concentrated bloom season, plan companion plants and display schedules around those months and cut blooms for vase work once flowers are fully open to judge form and colour accurately.

More in the Iris genus

• 
  Iris 'Antigone' (TB)
• 
  Iris 'Dauntless' (TB)
• 
  Iris 'Dipped in Dots' (TB)
• Iris 'Ablaze' (MDB)
• Iris 'After the Storm' (TB)
• Iris 'Aldo Ratti' (TB)
• Iris 'Alene's New Love' (SDB)iris 'Alene's New Love'
• Iris 'Alpine Lake' (MDB)