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Iris kemaonensis
Also called Kumon Iris
Kumaon Iris is a small rhizomatous perennial from the Himalaya, grown for its fragrant purple flowers. It likes sun or light shade and well-drained soil that stays moist in the growing season.
Iris kemaonensis, the Kumaon iris, is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Pseudoregelia. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Tibet, Bhutan, India, Kashmir and Nepal. It has light green or yellowish green leaves, that extend after flowering time. It has a short stem, 1–2 fragrant flowers that are purple, lilac, lilac-purple or pale purple. They also have darker coloured blotches or spots.
It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is often known as Iris kumaonensis, due to a publishing error.
It is hardy to European Zone H3. Which means it is hardy to −10 to −15 °C (or 14 to 5 °F).
It prefers to grow in well-drained soils, that have a pH level of between 6 and 7.5 or higher. But it can tolerate alkaline soils, or ones containing Limestone.
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (including the rhizome and leaves), which contain chemicals like irisin and iridin.
If the plant parts are mistakenly ingested, they can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also, handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
The flowers of Iris kemaonensis are used in Tibetan herbal medicine. They are described as having an acrid taste. They are analgesic and ophthalmic, and are used in the treatment of tinnitus (pain in the ears) and to treat weakening of the eyesight.
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 kemaonensis 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.
