Northwest Blooms · Irises
Iris 'Goldkist'
Goldkist Iris
- Height
- 3 feet
- Width
- 1 to 1 1/2 feet
- Flower color
- White with golden yellow accents and fine purple veining
- Foliage color
- Medium green, upright, sword-shaped foliage
- Bloom time
- Midseason
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
About this plant
Iris 'Goldkist' is a tall bearded iris with ruffled white flowers that open in midseason. The clean white standards rise above matching falls accented with broad flashes of golden yellow near the shoulders. Fine purple veining appears between the golden areas and the center of the flower, creating an unexpected touch of cool color. Bright yellow beards reinforce the gold accents, while upright, sword-shaped green foliage forms tidy fans beneath the flowering stems.
Introduced in 1993 by hybridizer Paul Black through Mid-America Garden, 'Goldkist' received an American Iris Society Honorable Mention in 1995 and Award of Merit in 1999. Its mostly white flowers have a crisp appearance from a distance, while the gold and purple details reward closer viewing. It is especially useful in sunny borders and iris beds where a lighter flower can provide relief among stronger colors.
Works well in
Formal Gardens · Borders · Walkways · Cut Flower Gardens · Cottage Gardens
Companion plants
Dwarf forsythia · Shrub rose · Russian sage · Purple wallflower · White gaura · Blue fescue · Creeping mazus
Design tip
Position 'Goldkist' where visitors naturally pass nearby, since much of its character lies in the smaller gold and purple details. Its predominantly white flowers also make a useful visual pause between intensely colored iris clumps without interrupting the rhythm of the planting.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner's Iris Gardens.
