Iris "Dawn of Change"  is just one of the hundreds of varieties available

With thousands of named varieties, temperate climate bearded irises get their common name from the fuzzy “beards” on their lower petals (falls) and have been categorized several ways depending upon which characteristics are used.

Using stalk height and timing of spring bloom season bearded irises are typically grouped into one of six categories: 

Miniature Dwarf Bearded (MDB) are extremely early blooming with stalks ranging to 8” tall

Standard Dwarf Bearded (SDB) are very early blooming and have stalks ranging from 8" to 15"

Miniature Tall Bearded (MTB) are delicate table iris with thin stalks ranging 16" to 26" tall

Border Bearded (BB) have stalk ranges from 16" to 28" and typically bloom with TBs

Intermediate Bearded (IB) typically crosses of SDBs and TBs with stalks ranging between 16" and 28" tall. Bloom between end of the SDB season and start of the TB season

Tall Bearded (TB) are the most popular form bearded iris, with stalk heights from 27" to 40”