Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Bloodworth, Stefan

Iris brevicaulis

Iris brevicaulis Raf.

Zigzag Iris

Iridaceae (Iris Family)

Synonym(s): Iris brevipes, Iris foliosa, Iris foliosa var. boonensis, Iris mississippiensis

USDA Symbol: irbr2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A 1-2 ft., zig-zag stem bears long, glossy leaves and showy blue, lavender or white flowers. The flowers are made up of dark-veined petals and sepals. The sepals are longer than the petals and have a yellow patch toward the base.

A member of the iris family (family Iridaceae) which consists of herbs growing from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, with narrow basal leaves and showy clusters at the tips of long stalks. There are about 60 genera and 1,500 species, distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Among them, Iris, Freesia, Gladiolus, Bugle Lily, and Montbretia are popular ornamentals. Saffron dye is obtained from Crocus, and "essence of violets," used in perfumes, is extracted from the rhizomes of Iris.

From the Image Gallery

10 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow , Blue , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MO , MS , OH , OK , TN , TX
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: MS to e. TX, n. to OH, IL, MO & extreme e. KS
Native Habitat: Swamps, Shaded woods. Swamps; marshes; bottomlands; damp woods

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
Soil Description: Moist, rich soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
Conditions Comments: Grow in average, medium wet to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Although a marsh plant in the wild, this species will do very well in the garden under somewhat normal growing conditions. Prefers a rich, slightly acidic soil.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Propagation Material: Root Division
Description: Clump division is the usual method of increase. All native iris can be grown from seed.
Commercially Avail: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	OBL				OBL	OBL		OBL	OBL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Iris brevicaulis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Iris brevicaulis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Iris brevicaulis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-14
Research By: NPC

Go back