Stunning beads of bright orange berries, emerge from unassuming, leathery seedpods bringing a welcome burst of colour in autumn as many herbaceous perennials begin their slow decline into winter. A tough and useful iris, it can take shade and dry soil in its stride, and in late spring, you'll find pale lemon and purple flowers poking through amongst the strappy green leaves.

Plant it in difficult areas of the garden where little else will grow, and in time it will self seed freely to form generous, (mainly evergreen) swathes.