Iris Crista - A Native Treasure
Iris is one of my
favorite perennial genera consisting of over 300 species.
When
growing iris it is important to determine
the species. Some
like
sun others like shade, some want wet, others can't tolerate wet feet at
all. They can be 4 inches or they can grow to be over 3 feet
tall.
***NEVER remove native plants from the wild. For a list of nurseries that propagate plants contact the Virginia Native Plant Society at www.vnps.org.***
Iris Crista is a native woodland plant which makes a wonderful ground cover given the right conditions. It's strappy sword like leaves droop gently down and can form clumps so dense weeds don't penetrate. It can grow relatively quickly in rich woodland soil. Given enough moisture it tolerates quite a bit of sun. It is often found on shady rocky hills in it's native environment.
The
blooms are white, blue and lavenders with gold (or sometimes white)
crests on the falls hence it's common name "Dwarf Crested Iris".
It blooms around April from the previous year's growth.
It may not bloom the first year but don't give up ... it's
worth the wait! The
wonderful flowers are short-lived however
but I think its value as a ground cover (or even an edging) in shade
outweighs this drawback. It is also drought tolerant with in
our area is another big plus.
Plant the rhizomes at ground level - don't bury very deep and don't use fertilizer. My rhizomes are actually mostly above the ground - which makes it an amazingly easy plant to share... just snap a piece off. You don't even have to get your hands dirty. Mulching with compost is all you need to do. Native columbine or native green and gold make great companion plants.
Snails and slugs can be a problem but deer and rabbits usually leave this plant alone. This plant is sometimes confused with Iris Verna which is very similar but I. Verna has narrower leaves and doesn't have the crests. This is an incredibly easy plant to grow - give it a try!
In your neat
garden iris grows
Bright yellow, mauve - in stately rows.
This one you’ve picked’s a lovely thing,
I know it brightens up our spring.
But in the forest, springtime’s child,
A purple iris growing wild,
Can melt my heart as spring melts snow,
It’s spoilt me for the sort you grow!
-
Jude, Wild Iris
Fun Facts: In Greek mythology Iris was a sister of the harpies, messenger of Juno, goddess of marriage. Iris walked between the heaven and earth over a bridge made by a rainbow. Legend has it that whenever she walked on earth, her footprints bore flowers with as many colors as the rainbow. The name Iris as a Greek noun means "rainbow".