Netted iris

Questions about netted iris

Does netted iris need sun or shade?

Netted iris grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does netted iris grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 8. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

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

When does netted iris flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early March to late March. 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 netted iris be planted?

3 in (7 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 in (8 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 5 in (12 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many netted iris plants do I need?

At 3 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as handfuls of five or seven, in the gaps between other plants.

In the bed above, the planner used 12 in two groups.

Is netted iris poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The bulbs 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 netted iris?

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

• Striped squill: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late March to mid April, wants average soil.
• Spring starflower: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early April to early May, wants average soil.

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

Do deer eat netted 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 can I plant to hide netted iris's leaves after it flowers?

A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:

• Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower late May to early July.
• Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.
• Garden chrysanthemum: 24 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower mid September to late October.

What does netted iris look like in winter?

Netted iris is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.