Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Iris 'Smith Rock'
Smith Rock Iris
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Height
- 2.5 ft to 3 ft
- Width
- 1.5 ft to 2 ft
- Flower color
- Rich peach standards with lavender falls and tangerine beards
- Foliage color
- Blue green sword shaped leaves forming an upright fan shaped clump
- Bloom time
- Late spring
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; remove spent flower stalks and divide clumps every few years to maintain vigor
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Wildlife
- Bees and pollinators attracted to nectar and pollen rich flowers
About this plant
Iris 'Smith Rock' produces ruffled flowers with creamy apricot standards, lavender-violet falls, and vivid orange beards, blooming in late spring. Upright, sword-like leaves are blue-green and form tidy fans that provide strong vertical structure throughout the growing season. The flowers rise above the foliage on sturdy stems, with softly flared falls fading to pale cream edges and colorful beards that create texture and depth during bloom. Subtle shifts in color across the petals add a luminous quality that changes with the light.
Originating through modern hybrid breeding, this cultivar reflects selection focused on refined coloration and flower form. It is well suited to borders, cottage gardens, and mixed perennial plantings, where its late spring bloom and architectural foliage contribute lasting seasonal interest.
Works well in
Borders · Sun Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Waterwise Gardens · Cut Flower Gardens
Companion plants
Coreopsis · Russian sage · Sedums · Peonies · Coneflowers · Salvias
Design tip
Spring bloom is its headline moment, and it reads best in a group rather than as a single plant. Give it open sun and room to fill out, and repeat it in threes or fives so the planting reads as one sweep instead of scattered dots.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Schreiner’s Iris Gardens.
