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Iris subbiflora
Also called Dwarf Iris
Crimean Iris is a small, rhizomatous bearded iris from Portugal and Spain that forms dense clumps of sword-shaped evergreen leaves and produces one fragrant purple flower per dwarf stem in spring. It needs full sun, hot summers and very well-drained soil.
Iris subbiflora is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Portugal and Spain in Europe. It has evergreen broad leaves, forming dense clumps, it has dwarf stems in late spring, (between April and May), with 1 upright fragrant flower, in shades of purple, light red purple, grey-blue, blue-violet, or dark violet. It has a beard which is generally blue, purple, or violet, but can fade to white, dull yellow, or dark yellow. After being found in 1804, it was once a separate species until the late 70s, when it was reclassified as subspecies of Iris lutescens, and renamed Iris lutescens subsp. subbiflora. But in the 80s it was returned to an independent species but some authors and references still class the species as a synonym or subspecies. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
It is hardy, to European Zone H2, meaning it is hardy from −15, to −20 °C (5 to −4 °F). It is also hardy to USDA Zone 6, and needs a dry spring.
It was thought that the species would not like the damp climates of Britain, and needs hot summers, to help create flowers, but Brian Mathew found it quite hardy. It therefore must vary in hardiness, less hardy forms could be grown in a cold frame.
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
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 subbiflora 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.
