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Iris griffithii

Iris griffithii is a dwarf rhizomatous perennial iris from eastern Afghanistan, with sickle-shaped leaves and purple flowers with white beards. It is rarely cultivated and hard to find for sale, so it is mainly of interest to specialist collectors and botanical gardens.

Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water regularly during active growth and keep the soil from drying out completely, but avoid waterlogging the rhizome.
Soil
Free-draining, gritty, fertile soil; rhizomes rot in heavy wet ground.
Temperature
Hardy in cool temperate climates; protect from prolonged waterlogging and severe frost in winter.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Rhizome and leaves are poisonous; ingestion can cause stomach pain and vomiting, and handling may cause skin irritation or allergy.
Native range
E. Afghanistan
Climate
temperate

About

Iris griffithii is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Afghanistan. It has short, sickle-shaped leaves, short green stem and purple flowers with white beards. Several specimens exist within herbaria around Europe, but it is rarely cultivated.

How to grow it

It is very difficult to find for sale or in cultivation.

It is thought best (by Dykes) to plant between May and August, after the flowers have faded.

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.

Other Iris plants

Iris acutiloba subsp. lineolata · Iris acutiloba · Iris adriatica · Iris afghanica · Iris alberti · Iris albomarginata · Iris alexeenkoi · Single Bract Iris · Iris antilibanotica · Stool iris · Iris arenaria · Iris assadiana

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Iris griffithii 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.

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