Iris - Flowering Perennials

Iris's are a vast and varied group remarkable for the exotic extravagance of their flowers and also the range of conditions in which various members of the group will grow. There are iris's that will grow in standing water and others that will thrive in dry shade. There are iris's of every available color and many bi, tri and multi-colors that fade from one shade to another.

Botanically the Iris genus is divided into a number of subgroups with similar characteristics, but most have some similar traits.

They grow from an underground storage organ, sometimes a bulb, but more often a rhizome - a swollen stem that grows at ground level half in and half out of the soil. An iris will usually flower in spring or summer though some of the bearded forms are "remontant" that is - they will flower again the same year if conditions are right for them.

Iris's may be propagated by seed or by lifting and splitting rhizomes where they most readily separate. There are often found small offsets that can also be removed and grown on, initially in a plant pot and compost before being planted out in the garden.

Iris's are clump forming, on average 18-24 inches in height and spread, but can be considerably more in the case of beardless varieties or only 4-6 inches tall for some of the early spring flowering bulbs.