Iris grossheimii is a rhizomatous perennial iris from the Caucasus Mountains, grown mainly by specialists. Its key to success is a dry summer dormancy, similar to a desert climate.
Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly during the growing season and keep it completely dry in summer dormancy.
Soil
Very free-draining, gritty mix or rock-garden soil.
Temperature
Hardy to cold winters; protect from wet cold in pots.
How easy
Hard
Safety
Toxic: Rhizome and leaves are poisonous if swallowed, causing stomach pain and vomiting; handling may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.
Native range
S. Transcaucasus
Climate
temperate
About
Iris grossheimii is a plant species in the genus Iris, subgenus Iris and section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It has sickle shaped leaves, which are as long as the short stem, which carries one flower in spring. It is beige, pink or brown covered in dark lines that are, purple-brown or brown. It has a large blackish brown signal patch and brown or black beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.
How to grow it
In general, Oncocyclus Irises need minimal summer rainfall and dry winters. In temperate areas (such as the Europe and America) they are only suitable for growing by specialist iris growers, within a bulb frame or greenhouse. Although, I grossheimii prefers very dry conditions during the summer, similar to a desert.
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 grossheimii 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.