⚜️ Iris
Iris spp.
The fleur-de-lis of the garden — regal, bearded, and slightly mysterious.
Sun
Full sun, 6+ hrs
Days to harvest
Perennial; blooms spring
Spacing
12-18 inches apart
Soil pH
6.8-7.0
How to grow
Plant bearded iris rhizomes in late summer, barely covered with the tops exposed to the sun — buried rhizomes rot, a rule with almost no exceptions. They want lean soil and excellent drainage; rich, wet beds grow leaves instead of flowers. In Florida, choose Louisiana iris or walking iris for wet heat; bearded types need more chill than most of the state offers.
Water & feeding
Water to establish, then sparingly — established bearded iris are drought-tolerant and resent summer irrigation.
Common problems
- Iris borer — the worst pest; destroy affected rhizomes and clean up debris in fall.
- Rhizome rot in wet soil — plant high and divide congested clumps.
- Leaf spot — remove spotted foliage.
Harvest
Cut blooms as buds show color for indoor arrangements; deadhead spent flowers but leave the foliage to feed next year's bloom.
Nerdy fact: Bearded iris flowers have three drooping 'falls' and three upright 'standards' — and the fuzzy 'beard' is a landing strip with nectar guides for bees. It's an airport runway painted by evolution.