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Iris lortetii
Iris lortetii (also known as Lortet's iris or in Israel as the Samarian iris) is a species in the genus Iris. It has straight grey-green leaves, a 30–50 cm tall stem, and large showy flowers in late spring or mid-summer that come in shades of pink, from white, lilac, pale lavender and grey-purple. It is veined and dotted pink or maroon. It has a signal patch that is deep maroon and a sparse and brown, purple-brown or reddish beard.
I. lortetii is deemed to be one of the most difficult irises to cultivate in its class.
It is hardy to European Zone H4, and USDA Zones 2 to 9.
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
Soon after it was discovered in 1882, a lot of rhizomes were taken for commercial cultivation in Israel. They were exported to Europe for the ornamental plant trade. Unfortunately, the cultivated specimens rarely survived more than 2 seasons, causing a continuous demand for fresh plants and rhizomes. It was also collected extensively for the cut flower industry and was sold in bunches on the side of the road, plants were also moved to decorate the cemeteries in the area. It is still available locally, in Upper Galilee, Israel for sale as garden 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 lortetii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
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.
