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Douglas Iris
Iris douglasiana
  
78 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) 78 Nurseries Carry This Plant The Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) is a common and attractive wildflower of the coastal regions of Northern and Central California and Southern Oregon, with scattered locations inland. The Douglas Iris grows mainly at lower elevations, below 330 feet, though it is occasionally found at heights of up to 3,300 feet.

It is most common in grasslands near the coast; it is regarded as a noxious weed in pastures, because it forms clumps that inhibit other vegetation, and its leaves are bitter and unpalatable to cattle.

Douglas Iris prefers part or full shade and richer soils and is fast growing near the coast. If not planted next to a creek or in a naturally wet area, it likes summer water every 2 to 4 weeks. It is more drought tolerant near the coast where it benefits from cooler temperatures and fog. The flowers can be highly variable in color, and many cultivars are available.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
0.6 - 2.6 ft tall
2 - 4 ft wide

Form
Form
Fountain

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue, Pink, Purple, White, Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Insects

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 2 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Amphipoea americana Image
American Ear Moth Amphipoea americanaAmphipoea americana
*
Endothenia hebesana Image
Verbena Bud Moth Endothenia hebesanaEndothenia hebesana

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 78

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 30° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers heavy soils with organic matter. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use with other plants that prefer rich, heavy soils and more moisture such as rushes (Juncus species), spikerush (Eleocharis species), Sedges (Carex species), California fuschia (Epilobium canum), Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), lilies, California Grape (Vitis californica), Wild Rose (Rosa californica), ferns, and trees such as Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), or willows (Salix species).

Maintenance
Maintenance
Can be deadheaded

Propagation
Propagation?
Will self-sow and will hybridize if you have more than one variety. Readily forms large clumps. To propagate a selected variety, divide clump after blooming is finished. The best time to divide is in winter when new growth starts at the base of the plant. (See photo.) For propagating by seed: No treatment. Sow in early fall outdoors.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
4*, 5*, 6*, 7, 8, 9, 14*, 15, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Grassy places, meadows, coastal prairie and in the understory of evergreen forest from Del Norte County to Santa Barbara County and scattered inland locations

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 15.8" - 119.9", Summer Precipitation: 0.21" - 3.51", Coldest Month: 37.6" - 51.0", Hottest Month: 57.9" - 74.6", Humidity: 0.01" - 21.20", Elevation: 7" - 5017"


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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