🎨 Understanding Bearded Iris Color Patterns
Bearded irises come in an extraordinary range of color patterns—each with its own unique visual signature. These patterns help define the character of a bloom and are often a key trait in selecting a cultivar for your garden or collection. Here are the primary iris color patterns you’ll encounter:
🌼 Self
A self iris has petals that are all the same color or shade. This creates a bold, uniform appearance—whether it's snowy white, rich purple, or sunny yellow.
Example: A deep violet bloom with matching standards and falls.
🌗 Bitone
A bitone features standards and falls in the same basic color, but in different shades—typically with lighter standards and darker falls.
Example: Light lavender standards over plum falls.
🎭 Bicolor
Bicolor irises have standards and falls in entirely different colors. The contrast creates a dramatic and eye-catching display.
Example: Bright yellow standards over purple or burgundy falls.
👑 Amoena
The classic amoena pattern has white or near-white standards paired with colored falls, often in blue, purple, or red hues. It's one of the most elegant and historic patterns.
Example: White standards with velvety violet falls.
🌀 Reverse Amoena
A twist on the classic amoena, the reverse amoena features colored standards and white or near-white falls.
Example: Rose-colored standards with crisp white falls.
🐚 Neglecta
A neglecta is a type of blue or purple bitone iris, with lighter blue standards and deeper blue or violet falls—a classic and refined look.
Example: Sky blue standards above royal blue falls.
🌈 Variegata
Variegata irises have yellow or gold standards and red, brown, or purple falls, often with pronounced veining. These create a warm, sunset-inspired palette.
Example: Golden standards with deep maroon falls.
🐾 Plicata
The plicata pattern features a light or white base with dotted, stitched, or banded edging in a contrasting color—often purple, blue, or red.
Example: White petals with violet stitching or edging.
🌟 Luminata
Luminatas have a luminous or glowing quality. The falls are lighter in the center with a colored edge, and the veining is reduced or absent. They often have a soft, ethereal appearance.
Example: Pale lavender falls glowing from the center with darker edges.
🌌 Glaciata
A glaciata lacks the typical dark pigments entirely. These irises have clean pastel shades or are completely white or pink, without veining or markings.
Example: Pure light pink or snowy white throughout.
🔥 Blend
A blend features a harmonious mix of two or more colors intermingled throughout the petals, rather than clearly separated into parts.
Example: Apricot merging into rose tones across both standards and falls.
🎨 Broken Color / Stippled / Streaked
This rare and artistic pattern features splashes, stripes, or blotches of color that break the standard symmetry—truly one-of-a-kind in appearance.
Example: White petals streaked randomly with purple and yellow.
In some instances, irises will be defined with a combination of these color patterns.
These color patterns are part of what makes iris collecting so exciting—each variety is a work of art, and the patterns offer endless combinations to admire and enjoy.