Reticulated Iris
Iris reticulata (IRIDACEAE)
Planting and Growing Reticulated Iris
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow reticulated iris in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of reticulated iris
- Season of bloom and planting time for reticulated iris
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for reticulated iris
- When, how deep, and where to plant reticulated iris
- How to plant reticulated iris
- Watering, fertilizing, care and pests or diseases of reticulated iris
- Landscape and indoor uses of reticulated iris
- Comments about reticulated iris and its features
Growing Reticulated Iris
Spring bulb. Deciduous. Stands 18 in. (45 cm) tall. Flat, straplike, midlength, thin blue green leaves, to 6 in. (15 cm) long, appear after blooms fade.
Yellow-Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus), a European native distantly related to Reticulated Iris (Iris reticulata) and with similar foliage and general appearance, is a very invasive plant and is prohibited for planting in many jurisdictions as a noxious weed. It should be avoided by home gardeners despite its appealing and beautiful yellow flowers.
Reticulated Iris Planting and Care Guide
Flowers
Early spring. Blue, lavender, purple, white, often with orange, yellow markings. Violet-scented flowers to 3 in. (75 mm) wide.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 3–8.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained humus. Fertility: Rich–average. 6.5–7.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Autumn in full sun. Space 2–3 in. (50–75 mm) apart, 2–3 in. (50–75 mm) deep.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep moist autumn–late spring; reduce watering in summer. Fertilize during growth until established. Propagate by division, seed. Divide when crowded.
Lifting and Storing
Dark, 40–50°F (4–10°C), in net bag or open basket of dry peat moss.
About This Species
Good choice for borders, containers, drifts, edgings, ground covers, slopes in meadow, natural, rock, woodland gardens. Snail, slug susceptible.
Iris Divisions and Categories
The horticultural classification of iris is complex and has been subject to many changes over time.
In general, irises separate into:
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- Rhizomes, subgenus Iris;
- True bulbs, subgenera Xiphium or Scorpiris; and
- a single-species subgenus with pseudo-rhizomatous roots, Nepalenses.
The first two of these divisions contain most popular cultivated irises. A current listing of official categories may be obtained from the American Iris Society.
Rhizomatous Iris:
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- Bearded Iris: (Iris X germanica).
- Beardless Iris:
- Japanese (Iris ensata);
- Louisiana: (Iris brevicaulis, Iris fulva, Iris giganticaerulea, Iris hexagona, Iris pseudacorus);
- Pacific: (Iris douglasiana, Iris innominata, Iris versicolor);
- Siberian: (Iris sanguinea, Iris siberica);
- Spuria: (Iris chrysographes, Iris clarkei, Iris delavayi, Iris dykesii, Iris forrestii, Iris wilsonii).
- Crested Iris: (Iris confusa, Iris cristata, Iris japonica, Iris tectorum, Iris wattii).
Bulb Iris:
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- Reticulata Iris: (Iris danfordiae, Iris histrio, Iris histrioides, Iris reticulata).
- Juno Iris: (Iris albomarginata, Iris aucheri, Iris bucharica, Iris caucasica, Iris fosterana).
- Dutch and Spanish Iris: (Iris X tigitana, Iris xiphium).
- English Iris: (Iris latifolia, Iris xiphiodes).
About Iris
Iris are related to perennial plants of more than 60 other genera.
Different species have bulbous, cormous, or rhizomatous roots. Dozens of new iris cultivars are produced each year, in addition to heritage plants and garden favorites.
All irises have grasslike or swordlike, deep green leaves, many in flat and fan-shaped, opposite habits. They bloom from late spring to early summer. While many species and cultivars are hardy, others are semi-hardy or tender.
The Iris’ distinctive, often fleur-de-lis-shaped flowers comprise drooping outer sepals or falls, inner upright petals or standards, and narrow, central petals called style-branches.
Use irises for edgings, foreground plantings in beds and borders, and featured massed plantings, or plant them in pots and along the shorelines of water features.
It’s best to try a small planting of 10 to 20 rhizomes in a single spot—to gauge how they will perform in your garden and climate or microclimate—before replacing reliable plants grown in prior seasons.
Irises, especially flag irises, make excellent cut flowers. Water the plants well the evening before, and choose partially opened spikes. Immerse the cut stems in cool water immediately after cutting, then trim them again underwater prior to arranging.
Choose from among the popularly cultivated categories of Iris above.
Planting and Caring for Iris
Plant rhizomatous irises in late summer or autumn, bulbous irises in autumn. A sunny spot is best, but most tolerate filtered, partial sun.
Most irises perform best in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil, and some are semi-aquatic plants that grow well in wet soil.
Those residing in U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 4–9, should leave most iris cultivars in the ground until plantings become crowded after several years. Divide them by cutting the rhizomes or separating offsets in late summer and replant them.
Gardeners living in cold-winter climates should lift irises in autumn to prevent ice damage to the plants. Store them in a cool spot in a net bag filled with dry peat moss. When spring arrives replant them when the soil warms and become workable.