Iris innominata
Rare North American iris native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, notable for its showy oversized blue-to-purple flowers with white and yellow accents.
Common Names
Del Norte County Iris, Golden Iris
Summary
Del Norte County iris is a small evergreen, rhizomatous perennial native to SW Oregon and NW California, forming dense clumps with slender glossy dark-green leaves; flower stems bear 1–2 blooms in late spring, with colors ranging from deep golden yellow with darker venation to white, cream, yellow, orange, pink, or purple.
In cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade on well-drained soil with modest summer water, and is hardy to USDA zones 8a–10b, with deer resistance noted; it propagates by division or seed and is used in hybridization to produce Pacific Coast Hybrids, making it suitable for borders, rock gardens, or groundcover in appropriate landscapes.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
2-20 inches
Spread
4-20 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 8a-10b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, neutral to slightly acidic pH.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
5.6–7.0, Neutral to slightly acidic soil.
Bloom Color
Yellow to purple, often with cream or white accents; color highly variable.
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Dark green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
2–5 years
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division, Rhizome cuttings
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts hummingbirds and pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.F.Hend.
- Publication
- Rhodora 32: 23 (1930)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Genus
- Iris