The Early Blooming Iris Variety You'll Want To Plant For Showstopping Color

Irises are stunning additions to gardens, but it can be challenging having to wait until well into June for your large bearded irises and perhaps even until July for your Japanese irises. Fortunately, the iris genus is a diverse group, and there are irises available for anyone who just can't wait until summer for flowers. One of the best of the early blooming iris options is the stunning Dutch iris (Iris x hollandica). 

Dutch irises come in a range of stunning colors from bold yellows to vibrant blues and purples. While Dutch irises don't bloom nearly as early in spring as snowdrops and crocuses, they tend to flower just in time to pair perfectly with late-blooming daffodils. The creamy blooms of 'White Explosion' daffodils could create a lovely contrast to the colorful flowers of Dutch irises. Alternatively, if you wanted to make your garden even more colorful, you could pair your Dutch irises with the bright yellow and orange 'Bellabombe' daffodils.

Because Dutch irises grow less than 2 feet tall and have grass-like leaves, they make an excellent addition to a bulb lawn or meadow. They are also perfect plants for bringing spring color to the front border of a garden. Consider layering them with other bulbs with different bloom times to get gorgeous flowers all season long. The colorful irises will distract from the faded leaves of the bulbs that bloomed before them, while later blooming bulbs will hide the fading leaves of your Dutch irises.

Dutch irises are generally hardy in zones 6 through 9, though you may also be able to grow them in zone 5 if you protect them with a layer of mulch during winter. Unlike many irises, they grow from bulbs instead of rhizomes. Like many other spring-blooming bulbs, they should be planted in fall, as they require a chill period of around 3 or 4 months to bloom well. They also need full sun and well-draining soil to grow their best.