Gargano Iris is a rhizomatous perennial iris from the Gargano Peninsula in southeast Italy, grown in rock gardens and by plant collectors. Give it full sun, sharp drainage and limestone-rich soil, and it will bloom in spring with fragrant flowers.
Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water moderately while establishing, then let the soil dry out between waterings; it tolerates hot dry summers.
Soil
Well-drained, gritty or calcareous soil, such as limestone-rich soil or a rock garden mix.
Temperature
Hardy to about -10 °C in its native range, possibly lower; protect from prolonged waterlogged cold.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Rhizome and leaves are poisonous; ingestion can cause stomach pain and vomiting, and handling may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.
Native range
SE. Italy
Climate
temperate
About
Iris bicapitata is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Gargano Peninsula, Italy. It has sickle or pointed leaves, shorter than the flowering stem. It has two flowers, which come in variable shades from yellow, white, lilac, blue and violet. They can also be bi-coloured. It is thought to have been derived from Iris pseudopumila. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
How to grow it
It is hardy to USDA Zone 9, It probably can tolerate more than −15 °C, but in its habitat (Italy), the winters are normally not colder than −10 °C. It can tolerate mild wet winters and hot dry summers.
It prefers to grow in well-drained soils, containing limestone, or calcareous soils.
Safety
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Iris bicapitata 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.