Northwest Blooms · Irises
Iris 'Si Tendre'
Si Tendre Iris
- Height
- 2 1/2 feet
- Width
- 1 to 1 1/2 feet
- Flower color
- Blush-beige, pale lavender-pink and creamy white
- Foliage color
- Medium green, upright, sword-shaped foliage
- Bloom time
- Early season
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate, drought tolerant once established
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
About this plant
Iris 'Si Tendre' is a tall bearded iris with softly ruffled flowers that bloom early in the iris season. The standards are a delicate blush-beige, while broad, gently flaring falls blend pale lavender-pink along the outer petals into creamy white centers. Light orange beards add a warm accent without overpowering the flower's subtle pastel coloring. Upright, sword-shaped green foliage forms tidy fans beneath the flowering stems.
Introduced in 2016 by French hybridizer Richard Cayeux, 'Si Tendre' brings a particularly soft combination of blush, lavender, and cream to spring plantings. Its understated coloring makes it useful among both warm and cool companions, especially in cottage gardens and mixed perennial borders where the flowers can provide a gentle transition between stronger colors.
Works well in
Cottage Gardens · Borders · Walkways · Cut Flower Gardens · Mediterranean Gardens
Companion plants
Dwarf escallonia · Lavender · Sea holly · Pincushion flower · Rock rose · Blue-eyed grass · Creeping germander
Design tip
Use 'Si Tendre' near the edge of a border where its delicate color shifts can be appreciated up close. Rather than surrounding it with other pastels, pair its softness with textured foliage or deeper greens to give the pale flowers greater definition.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner's Iris Gardens.
