Iris 'Heartstring Strummer'

Iris 'Heartstring Strummer' is a tall bearded iris with large, heavily ruffled flowers that bloom from midseason into late season. The standards are predominantly white, softly washed with pale violet-blue along their rippled edges. Broad falls open nearly white around the beards before gradually deepening to medium violet-blue, with richer blue-violet coloring concentrated toward the outer edges. Pale blue-white beards blend into the falls, with a touch of yellow tucked into the throat. The flowers have a light, sweet fragrance and rise above upright, sword-shaped green foliage.

Hybridized by Ben Johnson, 'Heartstring Strummer' was registered in 1997 and introduced by Superstition Iris Gardens in 2001. It received the President's Cup and Favorite Guest Award in 2005 and the Wister Medal in 2008. Its cool white and blue coloring creates a fresh, luminous effect in sunny borders, while the gradual transition from nearly white centers to deeper blue edges gives the flowers unusual depth.