Intermediate Bearded Iris 'Eleanor Roosevelt'

My grandmother grew this deep purple beauty in her garden and now I carry on the tradition. It's short stature makes it a great border pl...Read Moreant in my garden and it is one of the first irises to bloom, fading just in time for the tall bearded irises to get going. The clumps expand rather quickly and they need dividing fairly often, but that just means I have plenty to give away to friends. Re-bloom, for me is a 50/50 thing. If we have an early spring or an unusually warm fall, the plants will usually get some bloom in before the frosts come. Many years the flowering stems show up just before Halloween and get killed before they can bloom. Even with just the spring flowering, Eleanor Roosevelt is an asset in any garden.

This is my first bearded iris to bloom this year, blooming now after a cool spring. It looks lovely near the front of my border. I have...Read More it planted with 'Gracchus,' another historic shortish bearded iris. ('Gracchus' has several buds but hasn't bloomed yet.)

I have seven heirloom bearded irises in total and they have withstood impressively harsh conditions, planted on a slope in nearly all-day sun with a searing wind and a tendency for the soil to dry out within a day even after summer storms. They have done beautifully. 'Eleanor's neighbor 'Gracchus' has even bounced back from a borer infestation with almost no interference on my part and is looking healthier than ever. There's a reason these irises are still being grown over 100+ years - if you want irises that succeed with little maintenance, plant some heirlooms!

Awards: Honorable Mention 1936, Award of Merit 1937

This Iris usually begins blooming in my garden in early Feb. (zone 8). It has bloomed as early as New Years. It reblooms intermittently...Read More at best, but seems to do so more often if it has afternoon shade.