The tall, beautiful iris, named after the Greek goddess who rode rainbows, comes in many magical colors. Despite its divine origins, this June bloomer is rugged, reliable, and easy to grow. Learn all about planting, growing, and caring for iris flowers.
About Irises
There are some 300 species in the genus Iris. The most familiar irises are the tall bearded irises (Iris germanica) that reach 2 to 3 feet in height.
These distinctive, six-petaled flowers have three outer hanging petals (called “falls”) and three inner upright petals (called “standards”).
Irises may be bearded or crested (aka “beardless”). Bearded iris are so-called because they have soft hairs along the center of the falls. In crested iris, the hairs form a comb or ridge instead.
Most irises flower in early summer. Some—mostly bearded hybrids—are remontant, meaning they flower again later in the summer.
Irises attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and make lovely cut flowers. For iris companions in the garden, look to roses, peonies, and lilies.
Reader Comments
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Iris Plant
I have a friend who has Irises in her yard - yet she has no idea how they got there. I explained the the plant would have to be planted with a bulb. She's been living in that house for over 60 years, but has no idea how the flowering plant got there.
Any ideas. I might add that there is Japanese Knotweed also growing in that same area.
Thank You
Help!
I recently hired someone to come do a yard clean up and now after I broke my ankle and was unable to do any yardwork for several weeks. I was at work when he was working. When I got home, I found that all of my plants, irises included, had been taken down to the ground. I'm now worried that my several varieties of irises won't come back next year.
Has anyone experienced anything like this? Or have any words of hope for me?
Cutting Down Irises
It’s fine to cut back irises in the fall, so yours should be alright as long as the rhizomes themselves weren’t damaged. If it’s just the foliage that was cut, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about! In fact, when transplanting or thinning irises in the fall, it’s a good idea to prune back their leaves so that they focus on putting down new roots.
planting iris bulbs
please clear something up for me. I have read several places that state when plant iris bulbs, plant them about 4 inches deep. but other places i have read i am to plant iris bulbs with part of pulps exposed to the elements. Could you please clarify which one is right so I can plant mine correctly, please. Talking about bulb and not the rhizsome
Iris
I live in Northwest Arkansas. My Iris leaves have yellow/brown spots on them. What is it and what can I do to prevent it?
2 different colors
We have had a purple patch of iris’s for 6 yrs now. This is the first year that one of them bloomed and has yellow flower with purple outer petals, and see 2 more buds that look like they are going to be yellow as well. Is this common? Thank you
2 different colors
We have had a purple patch of iris’s for 6 yrs now. This is the first year that one of them bloomed and has yellow flower with purple outer petals, and see 2 more buds that look like they are going to be yellow as well. Is this common? Thank you
Leaves on Iris turning brown
My Iris plants have been in a particular area of the yard for 15 years and always bloom large yellow flowers year after year. This year I noticed I barely had any blooms. In addition, some leaves are brown and slide right out of the root with no effort. The remaining leaves look unhealthy and not a vibrant green as in years past. At first I thought it might be cicada related, but have since thought otherwise. These are beautiful flowers and I fear losing them. What are steps I can take to begin assessing the cause and save the plants?
The big green “hip” on flower end after blooming
What is it, can you plant it? Is it good for anything?
Iris
I planted some very tall iris in full bloom in late spring. Should I cut them down and how far?
pruning irises
From our friends at the cooperative extension in Connecticut: Individual flowers should be deadheaded, leaving any unopened buds on the stem. Spent blooms look soggy and unattractive and will form seed pods if left on their stems. Seed pods should be removed. When all the flowers have blossomed, cut the stalk down to where it emerges from the leaves. Do not remove green leaves as they provide nutrition for the plant but they can be cut back to the ground when they turn brown. Cut all foliage down to 1 to 2 inches after a killing frost in the fall and remove all debris from area.
Iris color very drab
I transplanted a few purple and white irises from my mother's garden. They came up fine, but they came up a very drab brownish color. My mom's were always a beautiful bright white and purple color. Is my soil bad?
why irises change color
It is not likely that your soil is bad, and, for the record, iris colors will not change based on soil pH like hydrangeas will. What often happens is that one cultivar is tougher than the others and eventually takes over a bed. Then the resulting color is all the dominant plants. One solution is to thin out the bed and replace with some of the other colors and they should be fine.
Curved iris stalks
This year, our dwarf iris stalks came up curved in all directions. Most of the blooms do not looks healthy. We just laid down lime. Is it possible that some of the lime sprayed into the iris bed? Thank you!
Irises have not bloomed
My irises (I have purple/white bearded) bloomed last year. A lady in my church said they only bloom every 4 years. Please advise. So far, they have green stalks, but no blooms yet. I'm in NJ
why no blooms
Once again, our friends at the cooperative extension have an answer: There are several things that can cause this problem. The plants may be too crowded. As the irises grow, the clump begins to crowd itself and must be divided. Another possibility is that the surrounding landscape (trees and shrubs) may have grown and begun shading the irises. Fertilization with a fertilizer high in nitrogen will stimulate vegetative (non-flowering) growth rather than flowers. Lack of water in late winter and early spring may also prevent proper growth.
It may be a good idea to divide and replant your irises. Find a sunny location receiving at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Prepare the planting site by digging the soil deeply to loosen compacted soil. As you are turning the soil, add amendments such as compost and a phosphate fertilizer. If you use a complete fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, be sure to select one that has a high phosphorus content (the second number of three large numbers on the bag). You can also use superphosphate or colloidal phosphate. Both of these are sources of only phosphorus (no nitrogen of potassium) and will not “burn” the plants. If the site chosen is the existing site, remove the iris plants and store them in a shady location until you are ready to replant.
For specific advice for your locale, consult your cooperative extension; find it here: https://www.almanac.com/cooperative-extension-services
Dividing Irises
A brief comment about my experience dividing irises - be careful, it's not easy! I seriously injured my shoulder and chest. No, that won't happen to everyone, of course, but some advice to use caution won't hurt, either. Digging them out wasn't too tough, but I attempted to divide them in a few different ways, seeing what worked best: a sharp knife, various trowels, shovel. It was during that process that I yanked something and the injury didn't really set in until the following day. So I continued on dividing, finally settling on a hand saw - this got through easily and I sure wish I'd started with it! After replanting, the following year I didn't get much growth or blooms - I have Siberian irises. Second year, a little improvement. This is the third year and they seem to be coming along well finally. Perhaps conditions here didn't encourage a quick regrowth but do be prepared to lose some luster after dividing. However, if you don't divide, eventually you won't get any blooms at all - or just a couple, so it has to be done. Fortunately, it's years between the necessity to divide!
"orris" root
I think auto correct may have changed the the name Orris Root to Oral in this excellent article. That is the rhizome root of the Florentine iris dried and ground into powder. I have used it as a fixative in potpourri making.
My Mom's name was Iris so they are a family tradition which spans several generations of gardeners.
Flag Irises
If you plant a fair sized pond planter with bare routed flag irises planted in gravel and placed in your pond they will clean the water and reduce the algae bloom in the pond to almost nothing. I'm not sure how available they are in America, here in Britain they grow wild. The only problem with them is if you have large fish (koi etc) they will drag the pot around by the roots coming through the holes. yo may have to tie them up.
Iris plant
Can a Iris be rerooted and how please?. I love plants and this is one I've never planted.
Iris ?
Do Iris bloom the first spring after planting in the Fall? Mine didn't bloom and someone said it takes two year.
Short blooms
Suddenly, after several years of normal behavior some of our iris have begun to bloom only 2 or 3 inches off the dirt surface. We live on Southern California. Any thoughts on why this is happening?
short stalks/stems
This is a tough one—for us, that is. Apparently short stalks (stems) are not uncommon. Some people believe that the problem is cold weather related, soil NPK related, or soil pH releated. You might get a better answer from folks in your area. May we suggest that you contact your local cooperative extension service. You can find it here https://www.almanac.com/cooperative-extension-services
What to do with old leaves left over from winter
Hi, it’s spring in Northeast US, and Im finally getting to prepping the garden for spring. I still have a lot of long leaves ( some green, some green&brown) left on my iris plants from last year. Should I cut them back now? I want to make sure the new plants come up with the best possible situation, am worried that I may interfere w new growth ( I see small leaves already coming up. Would appreciate any advice!!! Thanks.
Iris Leaves
At this point, you can leave most foliage alone. However, do prune out any leaves that appear damaged or diseased, as they may harbor disease and pests.
Iris bulb planting
I just ordered some iris bulbs. I need to plant them in the fall now?
Planting Time
Fall is the best time to plant iris rhizomes, but if you have them earlier, you can plant them earlier, too.
Iris seed pods
Will iris seed pods grow? If so how long does it take to produce flowers.
Iris bulbs
Hi! I am completely new to gardening and flower planting. Bear with me. I was given two bags of iris bulbs from a local friend. I really don't know what to do with them. For right now I have read (here) to put them in bags with holes in a cool place with some soil around them? And then plant them soon? It is mid September so I guess now is good? Does one make an iris bed? Do you plant them among other flowers? Do can you put something decorative around them like stones or mulch to keep weeds down?
Thank you!!
what to do w Irises
Sarah, all of your questions are answered above; just read (and read again). Briefly:
• Plant irises in late summer to early fall, when nighttime temperatures remain between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above. … If you receive bare rhizomes or irises in a container at some point earlier in the year, go ahead and plant them as soon as convenient. It’s better to get them in the ground rather than wait until the ideal time.
• yes, make a bed. See planning a site above.
• If you receive bare rhizomes or irises in a container at some point earlier in the year, go ahead and plant them as soon as convenient. It’s better to get them in the ground rather than wait until the ideal time.
• Do not mulch around the rhizome as this practice may encourage rot.
We recommend that you read above and plan. You have plenty of time, certainly several weeks. Good luck and have fun!
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