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Herbaceous Perennial

Iris 'Mrs Alan Gray' (TB)

tall bearded iris 'Mrs Alan Gray'

A rhizomatous perennial, to 90cm high in flower, with upright, sword-shaped, grey-green leaves. Flowers have a pale lilac purple standards and falls, and a white beard touched with yellow at the base. This is a very old cultivar, first registered in 1909, and was known for producing a second flush of flowers in late summer or early autumn

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Iridaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Iris may be rhizomatous or bulbous perennials, with narrow leaves and erect stems bearing flowers with 3 large spreading or pendent fall petals, alternating with 3 erect, often smaller, standard petals, in late winter, spring or early summer
Name status: Accepted
Horticultural Group: Tall Bearded irises are herbaceous rhizomatous perennials to 70cm or more, with flowers 10-20cm across, bearded on the falls, in late spring and early summer

How to grow

Cultivation

Thrives in a sunny position, in neutral to slightly acid soil with good drainage. Plant rhizomes just above soil level, as sun on the rhizomes encourages flowering. See bearded iris cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division, see dividing irises

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Remove spent flower stems in summer, and any dying foliage in autumn

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, slugs, snails and thrips

Diseases

May be susceptible to leaf spots, rust diseases, rhizome rot and viruses; see Iris diseases for more details

Get involved

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