Rainbow Iris
Iris hartwegii
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Iridaceae
- Genus:
- Iris
- Species:
- Iris hartwegii
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Geophyte
- Height:
- 1-2 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- may, jun
- Bloom Colors:
- White, Yellow, Purple, Violet
Native Range
United States: California
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rocky, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to rocky slopes and open woodlands
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).
Source: OpenAI GPT-4o