Kamilla's Iris is a rare rhizomatous perennial from Azerbaijan in the Oncocyclus group of irises, with large, very variable flowers. It needs a hot, dry, sunny dormant period and is grown mainly in bulb frames or greenhouses in temperate regions.
Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly while in active growth in autumn and spring, and keep bone dry while dormant in summer.
Soil
Very free-draining mix with dolomite or limestone chippings added.
Temperature
Not hardy outdoors in cold climates; protect in a frame or greenhouse, keeping frost away from the rhizome.
How easy
Hard
Safety
Toxic: Rhizome and leaves are poisonous; ingestion causes stomach pain and vomiting, and handling can cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.
Native range
E. Transcaucasus
Climate
temperate
About
Iris camillae is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Azerbaijan. It has narrow, falcate (sickle-shaped) leaves, medium-sized stem and large flowers, where the flower colour is very variable (especially in the wild), ranging from violet, purple, pale blue, and also yellow, and occasionally bi-colour forms are found. It has a yellow beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to its environmental conditions of its natural habitat.
How to grow it
It is not hardy enough, to be grown outdoors, it should be grown in a bulb frame or greenhouse. It is recommended to be planted late in Autumn, with dolomite and limestone chippings within the soil mix. It also needs feeding when in growth. It needs to be grown in full sun.
It was tested for growth in Leningrad Botanic Garden, in Russia. A herbarium specimen is found within Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, and plants are grown in the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
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. Also, handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Iris camillae 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.