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Gardening | Plant ID
THe iris family
iris
Bulb Irises
To better understand iris I have separated them into the irises having a bulbous rooting system and those having rhizomes.
_Firstly, the bulb irises include English (I. latifolia), Spanish (I. xiphium), and Dutch (I. hollandica) irises; along with the dwarf (Iris reticulate) and Juno irises.
Dwarf iris (Iris reticulata)
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| Dwarf iris Iris reticulata |
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| Dwarf iris Iris reticulata |
Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica)
Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica)
Rhizome
Irises
The irises with a rhizome root system are the bearded, beardless, and crested irises.Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris pumila)
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| Dwarf Bearded Iris 'Buddha's Song' (Iris pumila) |
Tall Bearded Iris
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| Iris germanica 'Baltic Night' |
Iris 'Grain Exchange'
Iris 'Cranberry'
Iris ' Fringe Benefits'
Iris 'Change of Pace'
Yellow self, with red veining on falls and yellow beards.
Similar to Tall Bearded Iris
'Horns of Plenty' (Rowlan, 1986)
Hyacinth blue self, yellow to hyacinth blue beards
with long blue horns and spoons
The variegated foliage is lovely after the flowers have faded.
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Iris Germanica
Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885, Gera, Germany
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Orris root Iris IRIS PALLIDA
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| Dalmatian iris or sweet iris (Iris pallida), Orris Root Iris The variegated cultivar 'Variegata' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. |
If you have ever made potpourri you will be familiar with this iris. Orris root is used in designer perfumes and has a violet scent. It is cultivated as a garden plant, and commercially for extraction of essential oils from its rhizome (orris root).
The variegated foliage is lovely after the flowers have faded.
Beardless Iris
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Yellow flag, yellow iris, water flag, Iris pseudacorus, around a pond.
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Iris pseudacorus
Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885, Gera, Germany
Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)
This is the iris favored by many landscapers over the Bearded group. And the reason is obvious. Hardy as oaks, Siberian Irises form very handsome clumps of grass-like foliage with a host of blooms rising on elegantly thin stems. The flowers are smaller than the Bearded Iris blooms, but once they're gone, the foliage of this group remains a highlight in the garden all season long, as decorative as almost any ornamental grass. Siberian Iris' hardiness and longevity are also big plusses. Once established, they will grace a garden for generations. There are fewer hybrids here, compared to the Bearded group, but there are now some quite glamorous bi- and tri-colors. Still, purist gardeners usually prefer the classic blue, purple and yellow flowers from this elegant group. They can be planted in spring or fall.
This is the iris favored by many landscapers over the Bearded group. And the reason is obvious. Hardy as oaks, Siberian Irises form very handsome clumps of grass-like foliage with a host of blooms rising on elegantly thin stems. The flowers are smaller than the Bearded Iris blooms, but once they're gone, the foliage of this group remains a highlight in the garden all season long, as decorative as almost any ornamental grass. Siberian Iris' hardiness and longevity are also big plusses. Once established, they will grace a garden for generations. There are fewer hybrids here, compared to the Bearded group, but there are now some quite glamorous bi- and tri-colors. Still, purist gardeners usually prefer the classic blue, purple and yellow flowers from this elegant group. They can be planted in spring or fall.
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Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' Morgan Award winner (1953)Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' produces deep purple flowers in late spring on rigid stems which rise to 40" high above a clump of arching, narrow, grass-like, linear leaves. |
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Iris sibirica 'White Swirl' |
CROCUS
Bibliography for Irises
Alphabetical Iris Check List. Baltimore: The Society, 1929. Print.
Austin, Claire. Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia. Portland, Or: Timber Press, 2005. Print.
Austin, Claire, and Clay Perry. Iris: The Classic Bearded Varieties. London: Quadrille, 2004. Print.
Basic Iris Culture: Or, "what Every Iris Grower Should Know.". Purcellville, Va: American Iris Society, 2000. Print.
Berry, Susan. Irises: A Romantic History with a Guide to Cultivation. Philadelphia, Pa: Running Press, 1992. Print.
Blackadder, Elizabeth, and Deborah Kellaway. Irises and Other Flowers. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1995. Art; Print.
Cohen, Victor A. A Guide to the Pacific Coast Irises. Watford [Herts.: British Iris Society, 1968. Print.
Dykes, William R, Isaac B. Balfour, and R E. Waltham. Irises. , 1912. Print.
Glasgow, Karen. Irises: A Practical Gardening Guide. , 1997. Print.
Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation. Cambridge: Cambridge univ Press, 2011. Print.
Hewitt, Jennifer. Irises. Great Comberton: Hardy Plant Society, 2003. Print.
Irises. Salem, OR: Keith Keppel Irises, 1900. Catalog; Print.
Irises. Ingomar, Pa: The Company, 1900. Catalog; Print.
James, Theodore. Iris. New York: Abrams, 2003. Print.
Jeppe, Barbara. Irises. Hatfield, South Africa: Umdaus Press, 1999. Print.
Linnegar, S, and Jennifer Hewitt. Irises. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2008. Print.
McGeorge, Pamela, Alison Nicoll, and Russell McGeorge. Irises. Auckland, N.Z, 2001. Print.
Norris, Kelly D. A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cultivating the Rainbow for Beginners and Enthusiasts. Portland, Or: Timber Press, 2012. Print.
Price, Molly. The Iris Book. New York: Dover Publications, 1973. Print.
Randall, Harry. Irises. London: B.T. Batsford, 1969. Print.
Rockwell, F F. Irises. New York: Macmillan, 1934. Print.
Shear, William A. The Gardener's Iris Book. Newtown, Conn: Taunton Press, 2002. Print.
Stager, Walter. Tall Bearded Iris (fleur-De-Lis) a Flower of Songs: Names, Classification, Structure, Planting, Care, Enemies, Propagation, Hybridism, Shipping, Uses. Sterling, Ill, 1922. republished 2018 Print.
Stebbings, Geoff. Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises. Portland: Timber Press, 2001. Print.
The Iris, an Ideal Hardy Perennial: Written and Published by Members of the American Iris Society. Nashville, Tenn: The Society, 1947. Print.
Vaughn, Kevin C. Beardless Irises - a Plant for Every Garden Situation. , 2015. Print.
Warburton, Bee. The World of Irises. Wichita, Kansas: American Iris Soc, 1978. Print.
What Every Iris Grower Should Know. Place of publication not identified: American Iris Society, 1969. Print.
Societies________________________
America Iris Society
The Society of Siberian Irises
Societies________________________
America Iris Society
The Society of Siberian Irises
Median Iris Society (MIS)
Sources
https://historiciris.org/resources/historic-iris-marketplace/
Grassroots Horticulture
2021, updated March 2026
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