Northwest Blooms · Irises
Iris 'Elective'
Elective Iris
- Height
- 3 to 3 1/2 feet
- Width
- 1 1/2 to 2 feet
- Flower color
- Golden cream, violet and lavender with orange beards
- Foliage color
- Medium green, upright, sword-shaped leaves
- Bloom time
- Midseason, typically late spring
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
About this plant
Iris 'Elective' is a tall bearded iris with bicolor flowers opening in midseason. Golden cream standards carry a soft lavender infusion, while rich violet falls gradually fade toward violet blue, revealing dusky veining and fiery orange beards. The lightly fragrant blooms shift into softer pastel tones as they mature. Upright, sword-shaped green foliage forms a clean, architectural clump beneath the flower stalks.
Introduced by Schreiner's Gardens in 2026, 'Elective' was selected from the Schreiner breeding program and registered as seedling E162-1. Its changing flower color brings movement and interest to sunny perennial beds, cottage gardens, borders, and dedicated iris plantings. The blooms also make lovely cut flowers, while the foliage adds structure after flowering ends.
Works well in
Cottage Gardens · Borders · Cut Flower Gardens · Waterwise Gardens · Walkways
Companion plants
Lavender · Catmint · Salvia · Peonies · Spirea · Creeping phlox · Lamb's ear
Design tip
Use 'Elective' where its flowers can be viewed regularly as their colors soften and change with age. Repeating a few clumps through a sunny bed creates a natural rhythm, while lower, softly textured foliage nearby helps keep the planting looking full once the iris has finished blooming.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner’s Iris Gardens.
