Iris furcata, the forked iris, is a small rhizomatous perennial from the Caucasus, grown by iris enthusiasts for its slender stems that branch from the middle and hold small purple to violet flowers in spring. Keep it well drained and on the dry side in summer.
Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Part shade
Water
Water moderately during the growing season and keep it dry in summer, as damp conditions favour virus and rot.
Soil
Well-drained soil; tolerates alkaline soil and peat.
Temperature
Cold hardy; tolerates St. Petersburg winters, so protect only in unusually harsh or wet winters.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Rhizome and leaves are poisonous if eaten, causing stomach pain and vomiting; handling may irritate skin or cause allergic reaction.
Native range
NE. Türkiye to Caucasus
Climate
temperate
About
Iris furcata, the forked iris, is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from
the Caucasus Mountains, in the countries of Moldavia and the southern Ukraine. It has short, narrow, sword-shaped leaves. A slender stem, that branches beyond the midpoint, holding small purple, deep purple, blue-violet, light blue or violet flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is often regarded as a synonym of Iris aphylla, but it has chromosomal and morphological differences, so it may considered to be a parent species instead.
How to grow it
It is cold hardy. Can also tolerate conditions in St. Petersburg, Russia.
It prefers to grow in well-drained soil, and can tolerate alkaline soils. It can also be grown in peat 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 furcata 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.