Northwest Blooms · Irises
Iris 'Gilt By Association'
Gilt By Association Iris
- Height
- 3 to 3 1/2 feet
- Width
- 1 1/2 to 2 feet
- Flower color
- Pale lavender, caramel-brown and gold
- Foliage color
- Medium green, upright, sword-shaped foliage
- Bloom time
- Midseason to late
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
About this plant
Iris 'Gilt By Association' is a tall bearded iris with sweetly fragrant, ruffled flowers that bloom from midseason into the later iris season. The pale lavender-grey standards are traced with narrow golden edges, while the falls blend soft violet through their centers into warm caramel-brown toward the margins. A fine gold rim outlines the lower petals, and golden-orange beards add another warm accent. Upright, sword-shaped green foliage forms tidy fans beneath the flowering stems.
Introduced in 2015 by hybridizer Paul Black through Mid-America Garden, 'Gilt By Association' received an American Iris Society Honorable Mention in 2018 and Award of Merit in 2021. Its unusual combination of muted lavender, caramel, and gold gives the flowers an antique warmth that works beautifully in mixed perennial borders, iris beds, and gardens featuring softer, earthy colors.
Works well in
Cottage Gardens · Formal Gardens · Borders · Walkways · Cut Flower Gardens
Companion plants
Dwarf Oregon grape · Shrub rose · Bronze fennel · Purple coneflower · Blue oat grass · Wallflower · Creeping potentilla
Design tip
Place 'Gilt By Association' near warm stone, weathered wood, or gravel where its caramel and gold tones can echo the surrounding materials. The soft violet portions keep the combination from feeling overly warm and provide a natural link to nearby blue or purple flowers.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner’s Iris Gardens.
