Iris lazica

This iris was obtained in 2007, but it has taken its own time to settle down and flower. It's blooming here now for the first time. Said to be hardier than Iris unguicularis, it's another of those winter-growing irises which have the potential to bloom over an extended time. I've seen it growing unprotected in local gardens, but here - for now, at least - it grows in one of the protected cold frames.

Out in the garden reticulate irises are starting to bloom. The flowers of Iris lazica are much larger than those of the reticulate irises but not as large as those of the form of Iris unguicularis growing here. I've checked the flowers of Iris lazica several times for fragrance but so far have detected none.