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Iris tectorum
Also called Roof Iris, Shenan, Cockscomb Like Water Iris
Wall iris is a compact, rhizomatous perennial with blue, violet or white flowers in late spring, widely grown as an ornamental in temperate gardens. It does best in moist, well-drained soil with a rich, humus-based mix and enough sun to flower well.
Iris tectorum (also known as roof iris, Japanese roof iris and wall iris) is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris. It is a rhizomatous perennial. It is native of China, Korea and Burma, with lavender-blue, bluish-violet, purple-blue, blue-lilac or sky blue flowers. There is a white form as well. It is a compact plant and is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions of the world.
The cultivation of Iris tectorum is very similar to that of Iris japonica and Iris milesii.
It is hardy to between USDA Zone 4 and Zone 9. It is hardy to European Zone H2, meaning it can tolerate temperatures as low as −10, but needs protection from hard frosts. Older plants can survive some frosts but young plants need protection in the spring. Both the blue and white forms of the iris, are perfectly hardy. It is hardy in the UK, but it does not flower very well, due to the summers not being hot enough to bake the roots. After flowering, it is best to remove the old stems from Iris confusa, Iris japonica and Iris tectorum, as this helps the plant survive the winter.
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), if mistakenly ingested, it can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also handling the plant may cause a skin irritation (like dermatitis or an allergic reaction.
Despite its toxicity, it is used in Chinese herbal medicine to treat hepatitis and wind damp pains.
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 tectorum 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.
