Immortality Reblooming Bearded Iris Bulbs

Light Needs

Part Sun to Full Sun

(5+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

29 in.

Mature Spread

18-24 in.

Growing Zones

4 to 9

Immortality Reblooming Bearded Iris opens broad, ruffled white flowers with soft lemon-yellow beards in late spring and often repeats later in the season. The flowers have a light fragrance that makes them appealing for cutting. Iris germanica 'Immortality' grows about 29 inches tall, carrying its pristine blooms above fans of glaucous green, sword-shaped foliage. Our landscaper often places the white flowers beside saturated summer colors, where their clean coloring gives neighboring plants more definition.

Introduced by breeder Lloyd Zurbrigg in 1982, Immortality received an Honorable Mention in 1986 and an Award of Merit in 1990. This tall bearded iris is hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and develops from thick rhizomes that gradually form broader clumps as offsets develop. Use it through a sunny perennial border, beside a cutting garden, or near a terrace where the second round of flowers can be noticed in late summer or early fall. Bearded iris is commonly resistant to deer and rabbit browsing, and established plants tolerate periods of dryness.

Immortality Reblooming Bearded Iris Bulbs Care

Plant the rhizomes in late summer through early fall so new roots can establish before winter, keeping the top of the rhizome exposed or sitting just at soil level. Full sun is preferred for the strongest flowering, although partial sun is acceptable if plants receive at least five hours of direct sun. Choose well-drained loamy, sandy, or amended clay soil with a pH around 6.0 to 7.0, keeping the fleshy rhizomes away from sites that stay wet after rain.

Water thoroughly after planting, and keep the feeder roots moderately moist during establishment while allowing the upper rhizome to remain well aerated. Established plants need less frequent irrigation, but reblooming iris benefits from supplemental water during dry summer periods when it is preparing its second flush of flowers. Apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer as new growth begins in spring and again after the spring flowers finish, placing fertilizer around the clump rather than directly against the rhizomes. 

Remove spent flower stalks after each bloom cycle, cutting them close to the rhizome once flowering has finished. In fall, trim declining foliage to about 6 inches and remove dead leaves and plant debris that can shelter iris borers or disease organisms through winter. Divide crowded clumps about every three to five years, preferably several weeks after flowering, keeping younger firm rhizome sections with healthy leaf fans and roots.

Immortality Reblooming Bearded Iris Bulbs Spacing

Space rhizomes about 15 to 18 inches apart, positioning the leaf fans so developing clumps have room to spread without quickly becoming congested. For container culture, use a broad container at least 12 inches deep with excellent drainage, allowing the upper surface of the rhizome to remain exposed. Potted iris should be monitored more closely during summer because the root zone can dry faster than garden soil, particularly while plants are preparing to rebloom.

Immortality Reblooming Bearded Iris Bulbs Companion Plants

Peonies make strong landscape partners because their rounded foliage and earlier flowering create a different shape beside the upright iris fans in sunny, well-drained beds. Bluebeard is another useful border companion, flowering later in summer as Immortality approaches its rebloom period and extending color through the same sunny, relatively dry planting area. Verbena works well in a large mixed container, filling the lower portion of the planting while leaving the iris rhizomes near the surface where air circulation is better. 

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