Description
A superb species, the giant of the bearded section, up to 170 cm tall with 20 cm flowers of light lavender with a sweet and pleasant, slightly ‘chemical’ scent.
This has been mistaken for Iris pallida, but the two are very different. Iris pallida grows in the foothills of the E. Alps and Croatia, while Iris sicula is from W. Sicily, Malta, Lampedusa and Pantelleria. The latter island is where our stock can be traced to.
The remoteness of these tiny islands in the Sicilian channel favours endemic species. Described by Todaro in 1858, it has been considered a doubtful species, but this is simply due to a lack of study – few people have ever seen it. Unique in its large size and distinct scent, it is also fertile, making viable seed (Iris pallida doesn’t). Also Iris sicula is totally dormant in summer. Most bearded Iris keep some leaves or the whole fan – not Iris sicula – it loses all foliage. New leaves appears in October, they are short, wide and glaucous with a fleshy texture.
An exciting ‘new’ species. This thrives in a very sunny site in a sharply-drained, loam-based soil.
First offered 2008 and grown outside, unprotected since.
