Rainbow Iris
Iris hartwegii
- Native to:
- United States
Morgan Stickrod (www.inaturalist.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Iridaceae
- Genus:
- Iris
- Species:
- Iris hartwegii
- USDA Symbol:
- IRHA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Geophyte
- Height:
- 30 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow, cream, lavender, pale blue
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rhizomes following fire. Native to Sierra Nevada foothill woodlands and forests with periodic fire regimes.
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
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–180 days
- Notes:
- Germination can be erratic and slow. Seeds benefit from fall sowing to receive natural cold stratification over winter.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).
Source: Claude AI
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Expose to fluctuation outdoor winter temperatures including freezing for 3 months. Gradually increase light and temperature in the spring. * sow fresh or soak old seed; prechill 4 weeks or place outdoors over winter and bring indoors once germinated to avoid temperature shock; transplant at 4 leaves