The Beloved Dalmatian Iris, Fragrant and Beautifully Variegated
The powerful scent is reminiscent of grape soda.
When you look at a Tall Bearded Iris cultivar, do you see the beloved, time-tested Dalmatian Iris? I. pallida was one of the major contributors to the development of the Tall Beardeds, but if all of the species had looked like 'Argentea Variegata,' we might never have thought of breeding them further! This is an airy cloud of a flower, very large, elegantly shaped, softly colored, sweetly fragrant, and perfectly set atop broadly white-striped gray-green foliage. If there is a prettier or more graceful member of the Iris family, we have yet to see it.

Opening in spring, 'Argentea Variegata' is a showstopper in the sunny to partly shaded border, thriving in any well-drained soil, even heavy clays. Its lavender-blue blooms complement the silvery-cream variegation of the pointed, erect foliage, creating an aura of soft, sparkling color. The fragrance, variously described as like vanilla, orangeblossom, or grape soda (our personal choice), wafts throughout garden or home -- for these blooms are also ideal for cutting, making a stately presence in the vase on thick stems up to 3 feet long.

Grown in gardens for many, many years, I. pallida still outshines most of its modern cousins with its beauty and vigor. Semi-evergreen in warm climates, left alone by pests and disease, and prepared to spread, it is even reasonably drought tolerant when well-established. It belongs in the collection of every serious gardener. Zones 3-9.