Del Norte County Iris
Iris innominata
- Native to:
- United States
mypubliclands (www.flickr.com)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Iridaceae
- Genus:
- Iris
- Species:
- Iris innominata
- USDA Symbol:
- IRIN
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Geophyte
- Height:
- 25 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow, gold, lavender, purple, cream, white, bronze
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Native to fire-prone habitats in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California; resprouts from rhizomes after fire.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or rocky soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to open, rocky slopes and forest edges
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 cold stratification and may take several months to germinate.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are placed into fine mesh bags and soaked in a 1% hydrogen peroxide (3:1 water/3% hydrogen peroxide) for 24 hours, rinsed, and placed in water for an additional 48 hours. Seeds are then placed in a sealed container and into warm stratification (10 °C) for 14 days. Following warm stratification, seeds are placed into cold stratification (1 to 3 °C) for an additional 14 days. Seeds should be checked weekly for mold and treated with 1% hydrogen peroxide if mold is evident.
Establishment: Seeds are easily collected from the large capsules. The plant is generally distributed in Oregon and California.
Source: npn.rngr.net
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20°C for 3 months, then place @ 4°C for 3 months. Requires soaking. Place in warm water until seeds swell, usually 24-48 hours. Discard water and any seeds that remain floating. * soak and rinse in clean water daily x 4 weeks, resent disturbance, pot up individually and plant out ASAP