2020 Year of the Iris – Celebrating All Types

The National Garden Bureau has declared 2020 the Year of the Iris.

You’ll find iris sold as transplants, bulbs, roots and rhizomes. Each iris flower is made up of three upright petals known as standards and three downward curving petals called falls.

Bearded iris have a fuzzy growth on each of the falls. They’re grown from thick fleshy underground stems known as rhizomes. These irises come in a variety of sizes and bloom times from miniature dwarf to the latest blooming tall bearded iris. Some are reblooming, producing flowers in spring and fall.

Siberian, Japanese, Louisiana, spuria, Pacific Coast natives and species are the 5 types of beardless iris.

The popular Dutch iris are grown from a bulb not a rhizome. Their long-lasting flowers are often used in bouquets.

A bit more information: There are between 250 and 300 different iris species that come in a rainbow of colors. In fact, Iris is Greek for rainbow and the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow.