World Premier Iris

Graphic as appears in Schreiner’s Catalog
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Tall Bearded Iris World Premier is an eye-catching member of the amenoa, white upright standards standing above colored falls, variety of iris available for those who enjoy these beauties.
The World Premier features semi ruffled, blued purple hued falls having just a touch of white at the site of the beard with white standards.
I am especially delighted that this particular iris variety is one often producing more than one blossom standard per fan.
While research, internet, word of mouth via other iris enthusiasts, and books available on the subject, indicates planting in full sun is best for the bearded, I have noted after years of living and growing iris that depending upon the iris itself and the gardener many varieties tend to flourish wherever they may be found.
I often see iris scattered along fences once delineating a house yard, the house has been long gone, the yard may now be pasture or a weedy enclosed area, and the iris are thriving. I find iris blossoming under trees, in good soil and in the clay muck making up much of my yard.

While the clay soil may keep the rhizome too wet, causing both deterioration of the root, and loss of blossoms and plant itself, I find adding organic matter including leaves, coffee grounds, compost, whinny poo and the like all tend to incorporate into the bed nicely, improving drainage and assuring that I will see blossoms year after year.
A good loamy soil with good drainage is suggested for best results.
World Premier is a onetime, midseason bloomer, mid May to early June, rises to heights measuring about 35 – 40 inches, first appeared in the late 1990s and has quickly become a favorite for many, I see them in yards all across the mid to east Kansas – Oklahoma border region where I live. The only thing I could wish for to improve this particular cultivar is fragrance, some Iris are scented, World Premier is not.

Bearded iris are categorized by height into several classifications including 8 inch or less miniature dwarf, with 1 to 2 inch blossoms, the standard dwarf standing at 8 to 15 inches, the intermediate standing 16 to 27 inches, and the tall reaching about 28 to 38 inches. As a rule the shorter type iris will blossom first followed by the taller and taller types.
To assure longer range of beauty, beds may be set out with tall in the center bordered by shorter and then dwarf heights at the edge of the bed. I dead head spent blossoms, to maintain beauty of the bed. Each blossom stem tends to produce several buds which open one by one.
During especially rainy years as we are experiencing this year in Oklahoma I do pull leaves and the like away from the rhizomes often to help prevent soft rot problems.World Premier is not one of the re-blooming type cultivars, this is a second change I would like to see take place, bloom and then re-bloom later is a real plus.
Iris blossoms are found in nearly every tone, tint and hue imaginable with single petal colors, both standards and falls the same tint, or standards one shade and the falls another available. New combinations are always in the offing as aficionados work to develop new beauties.

Most bearded iris blossom in spring, however some of the newer cultivars blossom in late spring to summer and then again in fall. The second display of color tends to not be as spectacular as was spring, however it does extend the display into fall, and for those who love the beardies that is a good thing. Many of the newer, re-blooming iris are fragrant, and that too is a good thing.Most years here in Tornado Alley I do some watering of the iris beds heat and no rainfall to speak of causes fans to appear pale and wilty. I clip the fans following the removal of the last of the blossoms, cut plant material is added to the compost heap to be used again to amend soil as needed during re planting.
Lifting and replanting rhizomes is done about every third to fifth year to assure the plant retains vigor and blossoming remains strong. Bearded iris are so called due to the line, beard, noticeable yellow fluff at the throat of the fall.
I have found bearded iris tend to pretty critter resistant, I’m not sure that the taste of the fan is unappealing, or what it is, however, neither cattle nor horse, Hossenfeffer and her group, Ardillo the squirrel and even Bambi and her family all browse on grasses and other plantlife alongside the iris and never give the fans even a passing nibble. Foliage is herbaceous, and parts of the plants may be poisonous to children, care should be taken assure children do not ingest portions of the plant.
As does other bearded iris varieties the World Premier tends to naturalize quickly producing an abundance of blossoms on sturdy stems and burgeoning fan clumps. I add a few World Premier to the developing, multi-hued beds, and replant the lifted rhizomes into the single variety bed.
I like to see 3 type beds in my yard, single variety, color compatible, all blue, all pink etc., varying varieties, and multi-hue filled with every color and variety cultivar imaginable.
Planting with taller varieties in the middle of the bed and shorter in either side does help to keep blossom stems upright, however, wind in Tornado Alley does tend to roar down the plain. Most years I do need to add blossom stakes to help assure the taller stems remain upright.
Whether used as the primary or only cultivar in the bed, World Premier is an outstand selection for their lovely shade, design and powerful, vivacious growth proclivity.
I generally place rhizomes with the upper portion of the tuber showing the roots spread across the soil below. I cover the lower portion of the corm and the roots with compost material including some commercial product mixed with the composted.
While I find rain does not cause too much damage to blossoms, wind and hail both ruin blossoms very quickly.
World Premier is available from a variety of online sites, garden shops and the like. Corms are shipped at the proper planting time for the zone in which customer lives. My own rhizomes were obtained in a rhizome swap with another iris fancier.
Happy to recommend this full-bodied, dazzling and remarkably hued Tall Bearded Iris, World Premier. Product Details and Shipping Information please click the see it on Amazon Button: Schreiner’s, and others are some of the sites offering catalogs with iris cultivars for sale. Scroll down the online listings, click on and order iris.