Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Iridaceae

Genus:

Iris

Species:

Iris munzii

USDA Symbol:

IRMU

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Geophyte

Height:

90 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

apr,may

Bloom Colors:

pale blue, lavender, violet

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, hummingbirds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

native to California's Sierra Nevada foothills

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–180 days

Notes:

Germination can be erratic; seeds benefit from cold stratification and may take several months to emerge.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI