About
Iris 'Yvonne Pelletier' is an Iris in the Iridaceae and a tall bearded cultivar that produces its flowers from May to July. It sets a clear seasonal display during late spring and early summer. Plants form clumps of sword-like leaves supporting upright flowering stems.
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 'Yvonne Pelletier' sits within the bearded iris group of the Iridaceae and is valued for its late spring to early summer flowering, which runs from May to July. As a cultivated variety it behaves as a clump-forming perennial, with erect foliage that gives structure to mixed borders while the flowering stems rise above the leaves in season. Place the plant in a sunny, well-drained spot; bearded irises perform best where water does not sit around the rhizomes. Planting with the tops of rhizomes just at or slightly above the soil surface encourages reliable flowering and helps avoid rot. Allow good air movement between clumps and lift and divide overcrowded plants every few years to renew vigour and maintain bloom quality. Use Iris 'Yvonne Pelletier' where a spring-summer spike of colour is wanted: along herbaceous borders, in gravel or Mediterranean-style beds, or as a foil for later-flowering perennials. Because its bloom period is concentrated, pair it with foliage or bulbs that flower earlier or later to bridge the season. Expect flowering from May to July.
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)