Dwarf crested iris

Questions about dwarf crested iris

Does dwarf crested iris need sun or shade?

Dwarf crested iris grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does dwarf crested iris grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does dwarf crested iris flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late April to mid May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should dwarf crested iris be planted?

8 in (20 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 12 in (30 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 6 in (15 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many dwarf crested iris plants do I need?

At 8 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 27 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 16 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 86 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.

In the bed above, the planner used 43 in five groups.

Is dwarf crested iris poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The underground stems (rhizomes) and leaves can cause drooling and stomach upset if eaten.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like dwarf crested iris?

These come closest to doing what dwarf crested iris does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Sweet violet: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late March to early May, purple or white, not lavender.
• Woodland stonecrop: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; white, not lavender, fine leaves, not medium.
• Japanese pachysandra: the same job in a bed and the same size; grown for its leaves, not its flowers, keeps its leaves in winter.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat dwarf crested iris?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after dwarf crested iris?

Dwarf crested iris is over by mid May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Sweet woodruff: from early May to early June, 8 in tall.
• Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
• Columbine: from early May to mid June, 24 in tall.

What does dwarf crested iris look like in winter?

Dwarf crested iris dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is dwarf crested iris good for bees and butterflies?

Dwarf crested iris is visited by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

It is native to the United States.