Mauve And Wine Iris

When compared to yesterday’s iris, this one seems less dainty and delicate, but it is just as eye catching because of its color. This one is the most colorful iris I have, but it also has the smoothest petals of all of them. I think the rust colored one comes in second, but it still has more ruffling than this one.

The lower petals are a deep, dark wine color that leans towards the purple end of the spectrum while the upper petals are a gorgeous mauve. Those colors frame the center that pulls in some yellows and even some cream, especially along the lower petals where that bright yellow fringe (did you know this is called the beard and is where the term bearded iris comes from? I did not until I looked it up so I could get the correct term) which gives the inside of those lower petals almost a tiger strip kind of pattern closer to the heart.

It is most likely the fact that you can find so many differences, both subtle and bold, in irises that makes these one of my favorite flowers. That and the blooms are always so large they fill any area they are planted in, at least through the blooming season. Even when they are done, the big flat leaves stay looking nice for a long time. I’m sure it also helps they are really easy to grow and require almost no maintenance other than thinning out their number every few years.