Phlox paniculata ‘Iris'

Garden Phlox Polemoniaceae

A wonderfully old-fashioned garden phlox, Phlox paniculata ‘Iris’ has been earning its place in borders for well over a century. Introduced by the great French plantsman Victor Lemoine in 1890, it carries rounded heads of richly coloured purple-violet flowers, each marked with a conspicuous reddish eye. The flowers are fragrant and age towards a softer, more bluish purple, creating an attractive shot-silk effect as the individual blooms mature. 

Breeder & introduction: Victor Lemoine, France, 1890. Lemoine was one of the great French perennial breeders, and ‘Iris’ is one of his phlox introductions that has survived remarkably well into modern cultivation. 

A reliable, upright plant for fertile, moisture-retentive soil in sun or partial shade, it is also recognised by the RHS as a Plant for Pollinators, providing nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects. 

Height: 80–120cm
Spread: 50–75cm
Flowering: June–September
Hardiness: H7 (below -20°C)
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Fertile, moist but well-drained
Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators