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Iris, Dwarf Crested

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Iris cristata
Iridaceae Family

A delicate native of North American woodlands, Dwarf Crested Iris forms carpets of 6-inch tall plants. The spring flowers come in a wide variety of purple shades, with white and yellow markings.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

full sun
part shade

Benefits from at least a few hours of direct sun daily. If grown in full sun keep soil constantly moist.

Soil conditions:

requires well-drained soil
tolerates low fertility

Ideally, amend soil with sand or leaf mold. High fertility often results in excessive vegetative growth causing clumps to lose density.

Hardiness zones:

4 to 8

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.5 to 0.75 feet

Spread: 0.75 to 1 feet

Bloom time:

mid-spring
late spring

Flower color:

yellow
blue
violet
white

Flowers range from pale- to deep-purple with yellow crests and purple-spotted, white centers. Some varieties have white or bluish flowers.

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape:

cushion, mound or clump
upright
fan-shaped

Shape in flower: flower stalks with upright spikes

Flowers are nearly stemless

Special Considerations

Special characteristics:

non-aggressive
non-invasive
native to North America - Northeastern U.S.

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by division or separation - Divide in the early fall when the foliage has yellowed.

Maintenance and care:

Divide every 3 to 4 years after flowering.
More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Pests:

Slugs and snails

Varieties

�Alba�: white blooms.
'Caerulea': deep blue blooms.
�Echo Ruffles�: large purple blooms.
�Shenandoah Sky�: pale blue blooms.
'Summer Sky': deep blue blooms.