Giant Blue Iris

Iris giganticaerulea

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Iridaceae
Genus:
Iris
Species:
Iris giganticaerulea

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Geophyte
Height:
6-8 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
mar, apr
Bloom Colors:
Blue, Purple

Native Range

United States: Louisiana

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★★☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, moisture-retentive clay soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
native to marshy areas of Louisiana

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o