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Iris scariosa
Iris scariosa is a small rhizomatous perennial iris from the mountains of Central Asia and China, with blue to violet flowers in late spring. It grows best in well-drained soil in full sun and must not sit in waterlogged ground.
Iris scariosa is a plant species in the genus Iris; it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial from the mountainsides of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. It has sword-like, or sickle shaped, blue green or grey-green leaves, a short flowering stem, 3 or 4 membranous or semi-transparent flower bud leaves, 2 violet, reddish violet, lilac, blue-purple, or blue flowers in late spring, with yellow or white beards. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It was merged with another similar iris in the region, and Iris glaucescens became a synonym of Iris scariosa, before being divided into two separate species again. Although some sources still call it the main species, despite a slight colour difference.
It is hardy in Europe to Zone H2, meaning hardy to −15 to −20 °C (5 to −4 °F). It has been tested for hardiness in Russia, in the botanical gardens of Moscow, Stavrapole, and St. Petersburg. It was only cold resistant in Stavrapole.
In 1946, it was first introduced to the Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences, but showed unstable results, it did not bloom annually, or fruit and suffers in the winter.
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.
It is native to temperate central Asia, and eastern Europe (meaning Russia).
In China, the rhizome of Iris scariosa has been used to treat swollen gums, anti-inflammatory pains, also sore throat (or chronic pharyngitis,) and hoarseness. The rhizome was ground into a powder, then mixed with honey.
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 scariosa 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.
