Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Flower Growing Guides

[+] larger image

Iris, Dwarf Dutch

Spring-Flowering Bulb

Also known as Reticulata Iris, Early Blooming Iris
Iris reticulata
Iridaceae Family

Small but showy, Dwarf Dutch Iris bears 3-inch-wide blooms in late winter and early spring. The blooms are varying shades of purple, with yellow markings.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

full sun

Soil conditions:

requires well-drained soil

Prefers rich, well-drained soil.

Hardiness zones:

5 to 8

Special locations:

outdoor containers
rock gardens
indoors as a houseplant - Use wide, shallow pots with drainage holes and a soil mix with excellent drainage. Place 2� of mix in the pot. Gently place the bulbs on top and cover to their tops with soil. Lightly water.

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.25 to 0.5 feet

Spread: 0.25 to 0.5 feet

Bloom time:

early spring
winter

Blooms in late winter and early spring.

Flower color:

blue
indigo
violet
white

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape:

upright
fan-shaped
grass-like

Shape in flower: flower stalks with upright spikes

Bears a single flower on an erect stem.

Special Considerations

Special characteristics:

non-aggressive
non-invasive
not native to North America - Native to Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Caucasus region
fragrant - Blooms are sweetly fragrant.

Special uses:

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by division or separation - Divide the bulbs in midsummer to fall, replanting at a depth of twice the diameter of the bulb. The bulbs often split after blooming once, and it may take up to several years for the "new" bulbs to reach flowering maturity.

Maintenance and care:

After spring flowering, fertilize the plants with high phosphorus fertilizer. Dig the bulbs in midsummer to fall, seperating and replanting seperately any that have split.
More growing information: How to Grow Bulbs

Pests:

Iris borer
Verbena bud moth
Whiteflies
Iris weevil
Thrips
Slugs and snails
Aphids

Diseases:

Nematodes
Bacterial leaf blight
Bacterial soft rot
Crown rot
Rhizome rot
Leaf spot
Ink spot fungus

Varieties

'Cantab': pale blue blooms with falls tinted darker blue, marked with yellow ridges.
'Harmony': pale blue blooms with yellow crests on the darker blue falls. The best for forcing indoors.
'J.S. Dijt': violet blooms with yellow-orange crests on the falls.
'Joyce': deep blue blooms.