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Key characteristics

Classification: Tall Bearded Iris (TB)
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

Irises

Iris 'Goldkist'

Goldkist Iris

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.

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate; drought tolerant once established

Bloom time

Midseason

Find this plant

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.