<P> Iris is extensively grown as ornamental plant in home and botanical gardens . Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in New Jersey, for example, is a living iris museum with over 10,000 plants, while in Europe the most famous iris garden is arguably the Giardino dell'Iris in Florence (Italy) which every year hosts a well attended iris breeders' competition . Irises, especially the multitude of bearded types, feature regularly in shows such as the Chelsea Flower Show . </P> <P> For garden cultivation, iris classification differs from taxonomic classification . Garden iris are classed as either bulb iris or rhizome iris (called rhizomatous) with a number of further subdivisions . Due to a wide variety of geographic origins, and thus great genetic diversity, cultivation needs of iris vary greatly . </P> <P> Iris grow well in most any garden soil types providing they are well - drained . The earliest to bloom are species like I. junonia and I. reichenbachii, which flower as early as February and March in the Northern Hemisphere, followed by the dwarf forms of I. pumila, and then by most of the tall bearded varieties, such as the German Iris and its variety florentina, Sweet Iris, Hungarian Iris, Lemon - yellow Iris (I. flavescens), Iris sambucina, I. amoena, and their natural and horticultural hybrids such as those described under names like I. neglecta or I. squalens and best united under I. × lurida . </P> <P> Bearded iris are classified as Dwarf, Tall, or Aril . In Europe, the most commonly found garden iris is a hybrid iris (falsely called German Iris, I. germanica which is sterile) and its numerous cultivars . Various wild forms (including Iris aphylla) and naturally occurring hybrids of the Sweet iris (I. pallida) and the Hungarian iris (I. variegata) form the basis of almost all modern hybrid bearded irises . Median forms of bearded iris (intermediate bearded, or IB; miniature tall bearded, or MTB; etc .) are derived from crosses between tall and dwarf species like Iris pumila . </P>

What does a dutch iris bulb look like