If you are unfamiliar with them, horned iris are like the tall bearded varieties, but with an important difference.
In them, the beards stick out smartly like spurs or horns instead of lying flat. This gives them a provocative look that adds interest to the garden and arrangements.
Other than that, they bloom at the same time (May, June) as the tall bearded iris. They are planted and grown the same way, are as trouble-free, develop into massive clumps as rapidly, and are as easy to hybridize.
Related: Grow Bearded Iris
Introducing First Horned Iris
Since the first horned iris was introduced in 1954 at $100 per rhizome, every year sees one or two new one’s collectors want to know about, to consider for super special places in their gardens.
First Horned Iris Varieties
- Unicorn
- Plumed Delight
- Mulberry Snow
- Horned Skylark
- Wings of Flight
These have blossoms of white, yellow, buff, mauve, reddish violet, or combinations of these colors. Unicorn, for example, has white and gold wine-tipped horns, mulberry standards, and pure white falls, bordered with mulberry.
The 1958 varieties extend the color range with tints and shades of red. Besides Horned Rosyred and Horned Royalty (see cuts), the latter has been held up for several years, so the stock would be large enough to allow the grower to bring the introductory price way down ($2.50). There are two others.
Hornes Ruby Falls Iris
Horned Ruby Falls is a striking bicolor. Its pale yellow standards are flushed with light red. Its falls are a clear ruby, and its half-inch horn a brilliant orange. It comes from a horned seedling crossed with the Dykes Medal winner, Cherie.
Horned Two-Tone Iris
Horned Twotone, also priced (at $2) for the iris beginner, has light buff standards etched with lilac, rosy amethyst falls, and a heavy yellow beard that ends in a half-inch horn of blue-lilac.
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