Description
Iris camillae has a small rhizome, with very narrow and strongly falcate leaves. Above these small leaf fans rise stems of 20-40 cm which bear that totally amazing flowers. These are up to 8cm across with standards which are longer and wider than the falls. The flower colour is variable but the falls are usually violet, pale blue or even (sometimes) yellow. The standards are paler but are intricately veined in darker shades over a ground colour that varies from white to pale blue. The standards and the falls are not similar in colour, as I have seen suggested, though it must also be admitted that the species is a variable one. Only ONE colour form is illustrated here, the plant supplied may not be this exact colour form as these seed-raised forms, originally traceable to near Tovuz in Azerbayjian, are not colour separated.
Kramb speculated that the species is perhaps of ancient hybrid origins and may have involved iberica, acutiloba and paradoxa, however this is speculative and as far as I am aware it has not been verified. This is a gorgeous plant, worth any trouble to cultivate. It needs to be grown under glass or in a bulb frame with very sharp drainage. I use and recommend dolomite limestone for any chippings which you do use in your mix. I would never, ever , use impervious chippings such as granite. It needs fertility – i.e. feeding when in growth and it adores free air-movement. Plant it late, very late, in Autumn and do keep it clear of aphids when it is in growth in late winter. The reward is, quite frankly breath-taking, but it’s one for the experienced and observant grower only.
Iris camillae has a very limited wild range and is known from just 4 sites in Azerbaijan, (in the three states of Kazakh, Tauz and Khokali). It’s entire wild range occupies an area of just fifty square kilometres. In view of this undoubted rarity, I stress the artificially-propagated nature of our cultivated offerings. I repeat, these are NOT wild collected.
