Iris (Iris spp.)

Iris Plant Features

Grow your own rainbow! It's easy when you add a mix of bearded iris in your garden. This reliable spring bloomer flourishes in full sun and comes in a seemingly endless selection of colors and bi-colors. Some are even fragrant. Bearded iris also has broad, strap-like foliage that looks great in the garden even when the plants are not in bloom. The plants grow 18 to 36 inches tall and slowly grow bigger and better each year. Hummingbirds also appreciate the nectar-rich flowers of bearded iris. Bearded iris is generally deer and rabbit resistant. Hardy from zone 3-8

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Iris Growing Instructions

Bearded iris likes an exposed location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day. The plant prefers well-drained soil because the thick roots (called rhizomes) can rot in constantly wet soil. Dig and divide the plant every few years as rhizomes get crowded and the center of the plant starts to die out. Fertilize the plants in the early spring with a sprinkling of slow-release granular fertilizer.

Bearded iris is not intended for human or animal consumption.

Water

Medium water needs
Light

Outside: Sun
Colors

Blue

Orange

Pink

Purple

Red

Variegated

White

Yellow
Special Features

Attracts hummingbirds

Deer/rabbit resistant

Fragrant flowers/foliage

Super-easy to grow

Complement your Iris

Clematis
Plant Bearded Iris near a Clematis vine and enjoy the vertical flower show every spring.

Peony
Peony and Bearded Iris make great companions because they produce fragrant flowers at the same time and match each other in height.

Geranium, Perennial
Cranesbill Geranium makes a good companion for Bearded Iris.

Our favorite varieties

County Cork Bearded Iris

Iris 'County Cork'

It’s hard not to smile when the lime-yellow petals of ‘County Cork’ bearded iris burst into bloom. This cheerful variety grows 38 inches tall and makes a terrific cut flower. It’s an award-winning variety that should be in every sunny garden. Zones 3-9

Feedback Bearded Iris

Iris 'Feedback'

A dependable re-bloomer, ‘Feedback’ bearded iris shows off rich, violet-blue flowers with yellow beards in spring and autumn. The flowers are also delightfully fragrant. ‘Feedback’ grows 36 inches tall. Zones 3-9

Hello Darkness Bearded Iris

Iris 'Hello Darkness'

The rich, velvety-black flowers of ‘Hello Darkness’ bearded iris have won awards from flower judges across the globe. This easy-care perennial belongs in your garden. It grows 36 inches tall. Zones 3-9

Immortality Reblooming Bearded Iris

Iris 'Immortality'

One of the most vigorous bearded iris you can grow, ‘Immortality’ produces masses of pure white flowers in the spring and then again in late summer. It’s a truly remarkable plant that grows 30 inches tall. Pair it with ‘Hello Darkness’ for a black-and-white combination. Zones 3-9

Loop the Loop Bearded Iris

Iris 'Loop the Loop'

White ruffled petals edged in violet make ‘Loop the Loop’ bearded iris a stunning addition to the perennial border. Growing over 3 feet tall, ‘Loop the Loop’ excels as a cut flower, too. Zones 3-9

Sunrise Elegy Bearded Iris

Iris 'Sunrise Elegy'

Step into your garden on a spring morning and enjoy the beautiful blooms of ‘Sunrise Elegy’ bearded iris. It’s buttercup-yellow-and-white flowers seem to have a glow all their own. The delicately serrated petals add to the overall effect. ‘Sunrise Elegy’ grows over 3 feet tall. Zones 3-9

Savannah Sunset Bearded Iris

Iris 'Savannah Sunset'

A showstopping iris, 'Savannah Sunset' shows off bright orange flowers in late spring. It grows about 3 feet tall. Zones 3-9

Lo Ho Silver Reblooming Bearded Iris

Iris 'Lo Ho Silver'

Lo Ho Silver offers softly scented, silvery-white blooms and compact stems that reach only about 18 inches tall. It often reblooms in late summer. Zones 3-9

Butter and Sugar Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Butter and Sugar'

Butter and Sugar Siberian iris a classic, tried-and-true variety that shows off yellow-and-white flowers in early summer. It grows 36 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 3-8

Dear Delight Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Dear Delight'

Dear Delight iris shows off delicate-looking soft-blue flowers in early summer. This easy-care plant grows 30 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Hubbard Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Hubbard'

Hubbard Siberian iris is an easy-to-grow stunner that blooms in early summer with rich purple blooms. It grows 36 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 3-8

Kabluey Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Kabluey'

Kabluey Siberian iris has blue-purple flowers on strong stems in early summer. It grows 46 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Kita-No-Seiza Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Kita-No-Seiza'

Kita-No-Seiza Siberian iris is an amazing variety that has double blue-pink flowers in early summer. It grows 28 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Ruffled Velvet Siberian Iris

Iris sibirica 'Ruffled Velvet'

Ruffled Velvet Siberian iris is a classic with dark violet-purple blooms that float like butterflies. It grows 30 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Again and Again Reblooming Bearded Iris

Iris 'Again and Again'

Again and Again shows of fragrant, soft yellow flowers in early summer and again in early autumn. it grows 36 inches tall. Zones 3-9

Caesar's Brother Siberian Iris

Iris 'Caesar's Brother'

An award-winning variety, Caesar's Brother was popular in the 1950s and is still loved today for its profusion of rich violet blooms. It grows 46 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 3-8