Iris acutiloba is a dwarf rhizomatous perennial iris from the mountains of the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran and nearby regions, grown as an alpine or pot plant. It needs sharp drainage, sandy soil, full sun and a dry rest period in summer.
Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly during growth and keep dry from September and in summer; protect from excess spring and autumn rain.
Soil
Sandy, well-drained soil or gritty alpine mix.
Temperature
Hardy to about -10 °C to -15 °C (European zone H3); protect from frost and waterlogging in pots.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Most parts, especially the rhizome and leaves, are poisonous and can cause stomach pain and vomiting if eaten; handling may irritate skin.
Native range
SE. Türkiye to Iran
Climate
temperate
About
Iris acutiloba is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountains of the Caucasus and found in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Dagestan in the North Caucasus, and Iran. It is a dwarf species, with narrow, falcate or curved leaves, it has one flower in spring or early summer, that comes in shades from cream, creamy white, whitish, pale brown, light grey, to pale violet. It is heavily veined or streaked and pointed, with 2 dark spots and brown, purple, dark purple, or black short beard. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. There are two subspecies, Iris acutiloba subsp. lineolata and Iris acutiloba subsp. longitepala.
How to grow it
The species is hardy to European Zone H3, meaning hardy to −10 °C (14 °F) to −15 °C (5 °F).
As they grow in the mountains, they are much more cold hardy than some of the Oncocyclus section irises native to Israel-Palestine.
Safety
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and can cause stomach pains and vomiting if mistakenly ingested. Handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
Where it grows
It is endemic and native to temperate regions of Asia, and the Caucasus, including Transcaucasia.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Iris acutiloba by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.