links and resources

Irises are some of the easiest plants to grow. We hope you'll stop by a meeting to learn more about growing these beautiful flowers in our climate, but in the meantime, here are some basic rules to begin with:

1. Plant in sun - Most irises like at least 6 hours of sun a day.

2. Watch the soil level - Iris rhizomes (the part that looks like a potato at the base of the plant) are not the same as bulbs. Depending on the type of iris, you may need to leave some of the rhizome above ground. Remember that bearded irises are quite different from beardless irises. Visit our links above to help you get started - the American Iris Society can help you identify which type of iris you have.

3. Dig & Divide - If your irises have stopped blooming, you may want to divide your plants. Click here to watch a video we often share with new members about dividing your bearded irises.

On some of these pages, you will see an iris name followed by additional information in parentheses. For example,

Miah Jane (Parkhill, R. 1999)

This means that Tom Parkhill registered the name Miah Jane in 1999 with the American Iris Society, which is the international organization that keeps track of all names of new irises. After growing enough stock to meet demand, Miah Jane was first offered for sale in 2001, at which time it became eligible for awards.

​TB - tall bearded iris, the most popular and widely grown type of iris in our area.

Shorter bearded irises, also called medians, include:
• BB - border bearded
• IB - intermediate bearded
• SDB - standard dwarf bearded
• MTB - miniature tall bearded
• MDB - miniature dwarf bearded
Beardless irises include:
• LA - Louisiana iris
• SIB - Siberian iris
• JA - Japanese iris
• Several species and species hybrids

For detailed descriptions of different types of irises, please visit the links above.