Iris ‘Hello Darkness’ (Bearded Iris)

One of the darkest iris, multiple award-winning Iris ‘Hello Darkness’ is a spectacular beauty that commands the attention in the garden with its velvety, purple-black, ruffled flowers. The blossoms are held high on sturdy stems and rise elegantly up to 37 inches high (92 cm) atop a lovely sword-shaped foliage which will continue to add interest in the landscape after flowering is over. Easy to pair with other colors, ‘Hello Darkness’ adds drama to the spring garden!

• Easy to grow, it is deer and rabbit resistant, and quite drought tolerant once established.
• Profuse bloomer, it produces up to 3 stems bearing 6-7 buds each and will bring its glorious and glamorous blooms in late spring or early summer over a long blooming period. Please note that bloom times depend very much on the weather.
• Won many prestigious awards including the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society and the American Dykes Medal (1999), which is one of the highest awards judged by the American Iris Society.
• Performs best in full sun in humus rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Tolerates light shade but best flowering and disease resistance occur in full sun. Good soil drainage is essential to prevent rot issues.
• Grows from creeping rhizomes which store food produced by the sword-shaped, semi-evergreen leaves and form large clumps over time
• A welcomed addition to herbaceous borders, sunny courtyards or urban gardens where the sword-like foliage and vibrant color will combine harmoniously with the stones and angular hardscaping. Roses also provide a lovely backdrop to this tall variety.
• The best time to plant bearded irises is July through September. Container-grown iris can be planted in the spring.
• All parts may cause discomfort if ingested. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

Bearded irises are classified by height and flower size into 6 groups. Since these groups bloom at slightly different time, combining specimens from different groups will extend your color display for a couple of weeks.