Iris setosa (Bristle-Pointed Iris)

Variable in stature, Iris setosa (Bristle-Pointed Iris) is a rhizomatous perennial forming a clump of stiff, narrow, sword-like, mid-green leaves, 1-2 ft. long (30-60 cm), with a prominent midrib and a purplish tinged base. The foliage arises from shallowly rooted, large, branching rhizomes forming clumps. In late spring to early summer, up to 13 flowers, 2-3 in. wide (6-9 cm), are borne on stout, solid, deeply forked stems above the foliage. They are deep blue or purple-blue, but occasionally pale lavender, with standards reduced to a mere bristle and large, heart-shaped falls. The falls are deeply-veined dark purple with a yellow-white signal. Very handsome in and out of bloom, Iris setosa enjoys abundant moisture during the growing season but flowers well, though with smaller blooms, even in poor, dry sand.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
• Grows up to 12-24 in. tall (60-90 cm). Clumps will spread steadily over time to form colonies.
• Performs best in full sun or part shade, in wet to mesic, neutral to slightly acid loam.
• A welcomed addition to beds and borders, cottage gardens, bog gardens, rain gardens, and near streams or ponds, where it will provide excellent color contrast.
• Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, thrips, and gray mold. Deer resistant.
• Remove any dying foliage in autumn, old flower stems can be cut down after flowering.
• Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in autumn or spring. Easily raised from seed, the young plants can generally be relied upon to flower before they are fifteen months old. Propagate by division of rhizomes from midsummer to early autumn.
• All parts may cause discomfort if ingested. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.
• Native to North America (Alaska, Yukon, and British Columbia), mostly along the coasts, west to coastal eastern Asia as far south as Japan.