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Iris unguicularis

Iris unguicularis

Regular price $10.00 NZD
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Commonly known as the Algerian iris, Iris unguicularis is native to a broad range across the Mediterranean. While the main species originates widely in North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia). Like its Greek relative, it is evergreen or semi-evergreen perennial iris known for its late winter to early spring flowering. It's characterized by narrow, grass-like leaves and fragrant, violet-blue flowers with intricate markings. It thrives in sunny, well-drained locations, making it suitable for rock gardens or containers. Advice from Kate Foster who has drifts of the Algerian version, is to chop off most of the leaves, using your Japanese flax saw, at the start of winter or late autumn, ready for the flowers to make a grand show on their own. Flowering begins in June here. Perfect for massed planting. Bulks well. Its density means it is pretty good at repelling weeds. 

Olivier Filippe suggests planting it with Euphorbia rigida, (or E. myrsinites, I would suggest) in gravel areas as both self seed and can form tapestries of winter joy.

Salix, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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