Northwest Blooms · Irises
Iris 'Tin Cup Chalice'
Tin Cup Chalice Iris
- Height
- 3 feet
- Width
- 1 to 1 1/2 feet
- Flower color
- Deep mulberry with orange and purple-tipped beards
- Foliage color
- Medium green, upright, sword-shaped foliage
- Bloom time
- Late season
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate, drought tolerant once established
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
About this plant
Iris 'Tin Cup Chalice' is a tall bearded iris with rich, lightly ruffled flowers that bloom late in the season. The standards and falls are deep mulberry, creating a beautifully saturated, self-colored bloom with a simple, elegant form. Dusky orange beards deepen to orange through the center and finish with purple tips, adding subtle variation against the dark petals. The flowers carry a slight fragrance, while upright, sword-shaped green foliage forms tidy fans beneath the flowering stems.
Introduced in 2024 by Schreiner's Gardens in Oregon, 'Tin Cup Chalice' was part of a collection of new irises whose names were inspired by the music of Jimmy Buffett, a longtime favorite of the Schreiner family. Its name references Buffett's song "Tin Cup Chalice." The deep mulberry flowers bring richness to sunny perennial borders, cottage gardens, and dedicated iris beds, while the late bloom season helps extend the spring iris display.
Works well in
Cottage Gardens · Borders · Cut Flower Gardens · Walkways · Waterwise Gardens
Companion plants
Potentilla · Rose · Russian sage · Shasta daisy · Coreopsis · Silver artemisia · Candytuft
Design tip
Use 'Tin Cup Chalice' to add depth to a planting filled with lighter or softer colors. Its deep mulberry flowers are especially effective against silver, grey-green, or fresh green foliage, which keeps the dark blooms clearly defined while giving the surrounding bed a richer sense of contrast.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner's Iris Gardens.
