Sweet iris 'Variegata'
Iris pallida 'Variegata' ·
Sword-shaped leaves striped lengthwise in cream and grey-green stay handsome all season. The lavender-blue flowers in late spring smell of grape soda.
- Size
- 2½ ft tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Late May to mid June
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Accent
A bed built around sweet iris 'Variegata'
The planner designed this bed around sweet iris 'Variegata' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why sweet iris 'Variegata' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Sweet iris 'Variegata' × 2, lavender
- 2 Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' × 14, pink
- 3 Sedum 'Lidakense' × 16, pink
- 4 False sunflower 'Summer Nights' × 3, yellow
- 5 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 6 Little bluestem 'The Blues' × 8, tan
- 7 Schubert's allium × 2, pink
- 8 Star of Persia × 3, purple
Why this plant
- The only lavender.
Why here
- In the middle. At 2½ ft it is the step between Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' (4 in) in front and little bluestem 'The Blues' (3 ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 2 plants in 2 places. An accent is a punctuation mark: the repeat along the bed gives it rhythm.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From late May to mid June.
- Part of the bed's peak. With Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies', Schubert's allium and star of Persia in late May: 4 kinds at once. No week has more.
Planned as an English border: 7 of the 8 groups (88%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Silver sage, Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' and sedum 'Lidakense' finish the front edge. Cool colours (lavender, pink and purple) with yellow as the warm note, and tan to calm things between them.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where sweet iris 'Variegata' goes in a border
At 2½ ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium (24 in to 2½ ft).
Its job: accent. An upright plant used singly, like a punctuation mark, and repeated at intervals to give the bed rhythm.
The best iris for foliage: the striped fans are a vertical accent from April to November, long after the flowers. Repeat single clumps along a border as punctuation.
- Striped, upright foliage for a sunny bed
- Scented flowers
- A vertical accent that lasts all year
What to plant with sweet iris 'Variegata'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Catmint 'Walker's Low': in flower together for four weeks, from late May; happy in the same dry soil.
- Lamb's ear: its silver leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; bold leaves against its medium ones; low enough (12 in) to stand in front of it.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': carries the spot on into mid October; bold leaves against its medium ones; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about sweet iris 'Variegata'
Does sweet iris 'Variegata' need sun or shade?
Sweet iris 'Variegata' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled.
What zones does sweet iris 'Variegata' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does sweet iris 'Variegata' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late May to mid June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 4 | Late May to late June |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Late May to mid June |
| Zone 6 | Mid May to mid June |
| Zone 7 | Early May to early June |
| Zone 8 | Early May to early June |
| Zone 9 | Late April to late May |
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 sweet iris 'Variegata' be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 2½ ft (75 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many sweet iris 'Variegata' plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as one at a time, repeated along the bed at intervals; a slender one reads better as a clump of three.
In the bed above, the planner used two in two groups.
Is sweet iris 'Variegata' 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 sweet iris 'Variegata'?
These come closest to doing what sweet iris 'Variegata' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Meadow sage 'Caradonna': the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, flowers late May to mid July.
- Sea holly: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, flowers early July to mid August.
- Spotted bee balm: the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, 4 in narrower.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after sweet iris 'Variegata'?
Sweet iris 'Variegata' is over by mid June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
- Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.
- Yarrow: from mid June to late August, 24 in tall.
What does sweet iris 'Variegata' look like in winter?
Sweet iris 'Variegata' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
More Iris
- Bearded iris Iris x germanica
- Bearded iris 'Immortality' Iris 'Immortality'
- Blackberry lily Iris domestica
- Blue flag iris Iris versicolor
- Dutch iris Iris x hollandica
- Dwarf bearded iris Iris pumila
- Dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin'
- Japanese iris Iris ensata
- Louisiana iris Iris (Louisiana hybrids)
- Netted iris Iris reticulata
- Roof iris Iris tectorum
- Siberian iris Iris sibirica
- Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother' Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother'
- Southern blue flag Iris virginica
- Variegated Japanese iris Iris ensata 'Variegata'
- Yellow flag iris Iris pseudacorus
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 2½ ft (75 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium (24 in to 2½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Late May to mid June; lavender
- Leaves
- Medium texture, semi-evergreen; variegated
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
Checked against NC State Extension, ASPCA poison lists and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.