Iris x louisiana ‘Melon Cocktail’ is another of our favorite Louisiana iris hybrids. This vigorous 2002 introduction from hybridizer T.J. Betts produces masses of 3′ tall stalks in early May, topped with luscious orangey-bronze flowers that often show a narrow yellow border and a small yellow throat. Iris ‘Melon Cocktail’ will grow in average garden soils but, like most Louisiana iris, will really go nuts when grown as a marginal aquatic in shallow water.
