Iris x germanica is believed to be a naturally occurring hybrid between Iris pallida and Iris variegata. It grows in the wild in northern and eastern Europe and has been cultivated in gardens there for several centuries, at least. Tall Bearded Irises are often referred to as "Iris germanica" by nurseries and gardeners. That is wrong.
The cultivars of bearded irises that most people grow in their gardens today trace their ancestry back to several wild species of irises, including Iris pallida, Iris variegata, Iris pumila, Iris aphylla, and/or others. But, Iris x germanica itself doesn't seem to have played much of a role, possibly none at all, in the creation modern garden irises.
