Seasonal Spring Flower - Iris

We are so used to having Iris in our shops all year round it’s easy to forget that it is in fact a spring flower, blooming naturally between February and March. Tall and reliable, it has become something of a workroom staple, despite its relatively short vase life. 

When and how to buy Iris 

Iris is sold in batches of 50 stems with an average stem length of 60 cm.  Tightly budded Iris need time to open, so it’s always a good idea to buy in advance and keep some in stock, particularly if you do a lot of funeral work.  

Most popular Iris colours 

Purple with a yellow centre - 'Blue Magic', 'Apollo', 'Hong Kong' 

White/yellow centre – 'White Magic' 

Pale blue/yellow centre – 'Shanghai' 

Pure white with a hint of yellow in the centre – 'Casablanca' 

Should you use Iris in gift work? 

Iris lends itself to a blue/yellow combination but generally speaking, it’s not an ideal flower for gift work, as once it opens its vase life of only 4-5 days means that it will die before the other flowers in the arrangement, which can lead to complaints. Even though it may look perfectly balanced at first, with its slim, pointed blue bud; once it opens, its shape changes completely and that splash of bright yellow in the centre of the flower can throw out a carefully planned colour scheme.  

How to open Iris 

Iris is mostly used in funeral work, so need to be open at just the right moment. There are two methods that you can use to open stubbornly budded Iris. 

1. If it is very tight, then tap the head of the Iris on the workbench to encourage the petals to unfurl, then roll it ever so gently between your thumb and forefinger.  

   
   

2. If it is already showing colour, carefully pull back the green spathe that surrounds the petals, cup it in your hands and blow. 

Iris care and conditioning 

• Ideal temperature for display: 2-5°C. Room temperature will encourage them to open more quickly. 

• Re-cut stems and leave in its packaging for 2-3 hours before unwrapping and using in designs. 

• Iris are ethylene sensitive, so keep away from mature flowers and display out of direct heat and sunlight. 

• If storing in a chiller, remember to change the water and re-cut stems regularly.  

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Su Whale is a florist and freelance writer with over Thirty years' experience in the floristry industry. She is the author and publisher of three best-selling books: Cut Flowers, 4th edition (2020) Cut Foliage, 2nd Edition, (2021) and Houseplants (2019), all bookshelf essentials for the professional florist.