Northwest Blooms · Irises
Iris 'Rock Star'
Rock Star Iris
- Height
- 30 inches
- Width
- 1 to 1 1/2 feet
- Flower color
- Apricot-orange with raspberry-purple markings
- Foliage color
- Medium green, upright, sword-shaped foliage
- Bloom time
- Early midseason
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate, drought tolerant once established
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
About this plant
Iris 'Rock Star' is a tall bearded plicata iris with heavily ruffled flowers that bloom in early midseason. Apricot-orange standards are densely patterned with raspberry-purple markings, giving them an overall rosy appearance. The falls retain more of their warm apricot ground, surrounded by raspberry-purple stitching that becomes heavier across the shoulders. Red-orange beards extend into small orange horns flecked with purple, adding an unusual detail to the flower. The blooms have a slight sweet fragrance, with upright green foliage forming tidy fans below.
Hybridized by Monty Byers, 'Rock Star' was registered in 1990 and introduced by Moonshine Gardens in 1991. It received an American Iris Society Honorable Mention in 1994. At about 30 inches tall, it is relatively compact for a tall bearded iris, making its intricate coloring easier to appreciate near the front of sunny borders and iris plantings.
Works well in
Borders · Cottage Gardens · Walkways · Cut Flower Gardens · Waterwise Gardens
Companion plants
Dwarf barberry · Shrub cinquefoil · Purple coneflower · Coreopsis · Sea holly · Lamb's ear · Creeping thyme
Design tip
Take advantage of 'Rock Star's' shorter stature by placing it toward the front of a planting, where its detailed markings and unusual horns remain visible. A simple backdrop of green or silver foliage will keep the intricate flowers from appearing overly busy.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner's Iris Gardens.
