Northwest Blooms · Irises
Iris 'Poem of Ecstasy'
Poem of Ecstasy Iris
- Height
- 3 feet
- Width
- 1 to 1 1/2 feet
- Flower color
- Peach-pink and deep lavender with tangerine beards
- Foliage color
- Medium green, upright, sword-shaped foliage
- Bloom time
- Midseason
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
About this plant
Iris 'Poem of Ecstasy' is a tall bearded iris with generously ruffled, bicolored flowers that open in midseason. Soft peach-pink standards form a warm upper crown above broad, deep lavender falls, creating a graceful contrast between the two colors. Tangerine beards soften to lavender at their tips, subtly connecting the warm standards with the cooler lower petals. Upright, sword-shaped green foliage forms tidy fans beneath the flowering stems.
Introduced in 1997 by hybridizer Ben Hager, 'Poem of Ecstasy' became a highly honored iris, receiving an American Iris Society Honorable Mention in 1999, Award of Merit in 2001, and Wister Medal in 2004. Its combination of peach-pink and lavender works beautifully in cottage gardens, perennial borders, and iris beds, while the ruffled blooms are equally appealing for spring arrangements.
Works well in
Cottage Gardens · Borders · Cut Flower Gardens · Formal Gardens · Walkways
Companion plants
Dwarf lilac · Bluebeard · Peony · Veronica · Lady's mantle · Hardy geranium · Woolly thyme
Design tip
Give 'Poem of Ecstasy' a position where afternoon light can illuminate its peach-pink standards while the lavender falls remain clearly visible. Repeating its two main colors elsewhere in the border creates a gentle connection between warm and cool plantings without looking overly planned.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner’s Iris Gardens.
