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Black Iris

Iris nigricans

Black Iris
Photo: Santiago Martín-Bravo, CC BY 4.0

Iris nigricans is a rhizomatous geophyte from Jordan, prized for its blackish-purple flowers and the national flower of Jordan. It needs full sun and very sharp drainage, and it is endangered in the wild, so grow only nursery-propagated stock.

Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Bulb
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly during active growth and keep the soil nearly dry after flowering and while dormant.
Soil
Gritty, very fast-draining mix such as sand, grit and loam; avoid heavy or wet soil.
Temperature
Hardy in mild, dry climates; protect from prolonged frost and waterlogging in winter.
How easy
Moderate
Native range
Jordan
Climate
subtropical

About

Iris nigricans is a flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is the national flower of Jordan. The flowers are blackish-purple and 12–15 centimetres (4.7–5.9 in) in diameter, and the plants are 35 cm (14 in) tall with recurved leaves. It needs direct sun and sharp drainage. It is endemic to Jordan and is an endangered species.

There are 8 other irises native to Jordan, and most of these are also endangered. The species bearing black flowers are sometimes confused with Iris nigricans.

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 nigricans 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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