Iris perrieri is a rare rhizomatous perennial iris from the Savoy Alps, grouped with the bearded irises and once mistaken for Iris aphylla. It needs well-drained soil and full sun, and it is slow to form a colony.
Family
Iridaceae (Iris family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water moderately and let the top of the soil dry between waterings; avoid wet summers.
Soil
Well-drained, gritty or alpine-type soil.
Temperature
Hardy in temperate Europe; cold tolerant, but protect from waterlogging in cold wet conditions.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Rhizome and leaves are poisonous; ingestion can cause stomach pain and vomiting, and handling may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.
Native range
SW. Alps
Climate
temperate
About
Iris perrieri is a plant species in the genus Iris; it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Savoy Alps in southern France and recently in Italy. It has green, deeply ribbed, sickle shaped leaves, a slender stem with a branch (from the middle), 1–3 scented flowers that are violet or purple, with a white or pale blue beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to its rarity in the wild. It was once thought to be a form of Iris aphylla, before cell (chromosome) analysis determined it to be a separate species.
How to grow it
It is hardy (in Europe), but may not grow well in areas with wet summers.
It prefers to grow in well-drained soils, and in a sunny situation.
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 perrieri 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.