Tall Bearded Iris 'Fiery Temper': A 2000 Keppel Blaze

Tall Bearded Iris 'Fiery Temper'

Hybridized by Keppel and registered in 2000, Iris 'Fiery Temper' bears a name of volcanic passion—promoting a cultivar that erupts in the garden with intense, uncontrolled color. This turn-of-the-millennium Keppel introduction likely delivers a blaze of warm tones.

Botanical Classification

• Family: Iridaceae (eye-rid-AY-see-ee)
• Genus: Iris (EYE-ris)
• Cultivar: 'Fiery Temper'
• Type: Tall Bearded Iris (TB)

Keppel's Warm Color Mastery

Keith Keppel's program has produced exceptional warm-colored TBs—coppers, oranges, reds, bronzes—colors that are biochemically challenging in irises. 'Fiery Temper' (2000) represents the culmination of decades of selection for clean, intense warm tones without the muddiness that plagues many red/orange irises. The name suggests a cultivar that cannot be tamed: bold, vivid, perhaps a bit wild.

Color and Form

Expect a saturated warm hue: perhaps a clean tomato-red, a glowing copper-orange, a fierce maroon, or a dynamic blend that shifts like flame. 2000 form: peak modern—broad, heavily ruffled falls; 4 branches; 11+ buds; exceptional substance. The "temper" implies a color that holds its intensity, not fading in sun or heat.

Garden Design with Fire

Hot-colored TBs are design anchors. 'Fiery Temper' demands a stage: backlit by afternoon sun, paired with purple/blue contrasts (complementary), or massed for a inferno effect. Culture: full sun essential for color development; sharp drainage; shallow planting. In extreme heat, light afternoon shade prevents bleaching. Divide every 3–4 years. A cultivar that brings controlled pyrotechnics to the spring border.