Iris x albicans (White Bearded Iris or White Cemetary Iris)

Description

White Cemetery Iris is the most reliable heirloom Iris on the Deep South. The bluish foliage is beautiful year-round. Fragrant bluish-tinged white flowers are produced in Spring. They attract native bees and hummingbirds. .  They are one of the Irises used to produce orris root. Dating from a cross made in the Arabian Peninsula  in the 1400’s, they are possibly the oldest Irises in cultivation. Symbolizing purity, they were traditionally planted by graves. As Muslim armies spread from Arabia tacross North Africa and into the Iberian Penninsula they carried the Irises with them and continued this practice. Eventually they found their way to North America  They plante them around their homes and in their cemetaries too.  Tolerating extremely dry, thin, and high calcium soils they have survived through centuries of neglect. However, they have almost disappeared from cultivation. We are one of the few nurseries to offer them.  We propagated our plants from a few pieces I rescued from an overgrown graveyard in Beaufort Co., SC. They were growing on less than inch of topsoil over crumbled  bricksand mortar, in the dense shade of wax myrtles, Yet they had the audacity to bloom. The site was buffeted by salt winds daily and flooded by salt tides many times. They clearly have some salt tolerance.  Deer resistant, they have never touched them in my garden. For best results, plant in full sun or part shade in well-drained soil.Read more here https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2013/mar/white-iris.html