Perennial
German iris
Iris × germanica
A rhizomatous perennial with fans of grey-green leaves and blue-violet spring flowers. It suits sunny, freely drained sites; established clumps need little extra water.
- Size
- 0.3–0.8 m high · 0.1–0.5 m wide
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Winter
- Hardy
- Seasonal form
- Evergreen
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Before planting
- Plant in full sun in neutral to slightly alkaline, well-drained soil. Keep the top of the rhizome at the surface and cover the roots.
- Clumps expand over time, so the stated width is a guide. Avoid wet hollows and thick mulch over the rhizome: persistent moisture can cause rot.
- Harmful if eaten, especially the rhizome. Sap may irritate skin; wear gloves and prevent children or pets from chewing it.
Why choose it
- Upright leaf fans give sunny borders structure, with bearded blue-violet flowers in spring.
- Established plants tolerate dry spells, making them useful in a border with free drainage.
Care
- Water during dry spells in the first year. Once rooted, water ground-grown clumps only during severe drought.
- Remove spent flower stems and dead or damaged leaves; keep healthy leaf fans after flowering.
- Divide congested clumps in summer after flowering, usually every three to five years; replant healthy outer rhizomes shallowly.
Good to know
- This is the old hybrid Iris × germanica; modern bearded-iris cultivars can differ in size, colour and care.
- This hybrid is sterile and is propagated by division. Healthy leaves can remain green through winter.