Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Iridaceae

Genus:

Iris

Species:

Iris hexagona

USDA Symbol:

IRHE2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Geophyte

Height:

120 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun,Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

blue, violet, lavender, white

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, moist, organic soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

Commonly found in wetlands and marshes

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–180 days

Notes:

Germination can be erratic and slow; seeds require cold-moist stratification and may take months to germinate.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI