All About Iris
- CFC Team
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
First off, what even IS a bearded iris?
All those ruffles have nothing to do with it! The "beard" on an iris references the fuzzy "caterpillar" that sits at the base of the falls. There are over 30,000 different cultivars of bearded irises, so at CFC, we classify them by color to keep things simple.
Working with Irises FAQs
Can I use irises in a bouquet?
Definitely! These beauties do surprisingly well out of water. We ran a little test to find out how they hold up.
The image on the left is Hour 0, and the image on the right is Hour 4.
They still look great!
Can I use irises in a shop arrangement?
Yes! The top flower will develop and fully bloom in a day or two. As it starts to fade, the next bloom below is ready to appear. Just pinch off the spent blooms. Each stem will put on quite a show!
On the left is Sunday: the top bloom has faded, and the second bloom appears
On the right is Tuesday: the second bloom is fading, and a third bloom is on its way
How can I use irises en masse for an event?
If you want to go all-out with local irises, think along the lines of a color palette rather than specific varieties. There are many options in various shades of purples, yellows, nude, and more. This is where those two-tone varieties and bridge colors really shine.
When should I order irises for a Saturday event?
We recommend picking up on Wednesday so you can move them in or out of the cooler as needed. Ordering for Friday pickup may not give them enough time to fully open.
The images below will give you an idea of how close your iris is to popping!
Once irises are in the "lipstick" stage (below), they'll be open in a day or two, depending on how cool or warm they're kept. Let them sit at room temperature until they're open, then pop them into the cooler to hold them at the right stage for your design.
It can be tough to predict when exactly irises will be ready to harvest, so you may see them appear late in the online shop as we get closer to market day.
How are irises categorized in the online shop?
We categorize irises by color rather than by specific variety. It's best to work within a palette and know that you'll probably receive an assortment of coordinated bunches rather than bunches of all the same flower.
Some colors we've seen during the 2025 season are below.
From left to right: Deep Purple, Nude, Nude/White/Burgundy, Periwinkle, Dusty Pink, Pink/Lavender, Caramel, Purple, and White/Light Blue/Yellow.
