Does anybody recognise this type of iris?

Slinky

Does anybody recognise this type of iris please?

ArbitraryRandom

Looks like it might be related to 

https://garden.org/plants/view/95260/Tall-Bearded-Iris-Iris-Ghost-Train/

Sarahspangles

It’s a Tall Bearded Iris, it could be any of the ‘black’ varieties (really they’re very dark purple) but the ones I’ve seen on sale recently have been Black Dragon or Black Swan. If you’re going to buy some read up on how to grow them, they need to sit half out of the soil and actually prefer relatively poor soil otherwise they tend to rot.

twopenny

Beautiful! Yes a bearded iris.
The black ones are expensive usually. 

Is that fennel next to it?

Slinky

twopenny said:

Is that fennel next to it?

Could be, don't know, it was in an open garden we visited yesterday

Slinky

Sarahspangles said:

It’s a Tall Bearded Iris, it could be any of the ‘black’ varieties (really they’re very dark purple) but the ones I’ve seen on sale recently have been Black Dragon or Black Swan. If you’re going to buy some read up on how to grow them, they need to sit half out of the soil and actually prefer relatively poor soil otherwise they tend to rot.

I think our soil would fit the bill, our neighbour has a good selection of irises in her front garden.  We have a silty/clay soil being not far from a river estuary.