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Key characteristics

Classification: Tall Bearded Iris (TB), Plicata
Height: 40 inches
Width: 1 1/2 to 2 feet
Flower color: Lemon yellow, creamy white and red-purple
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 'High Desert'

High Desert Iris

Iris 'High Desert' is a tall bearded plicata iris with ruffled flowers that bloom in midseason. Lemon-yellow standards rise above falls that open yellow at the shoulders and soften to warm creamy white through the center. A narrow red-purple band traces the outer edges, while matching veins and markings add definition around the shoulders and beneath the beard. Mustard-orange beards touched with pale purple complete the unusual color combination.

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate, drought tolerant once established

Bloom time

Midseason

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Cut Flower Gardens
Slopes & Banks
Waterwise Gardens

Companion plants

Dwarf juniper · Rockrose · Penstemon · Blanket flower · Blue flax · Prairie sage · Creeping thyme

Design tip

Use 'High Desert' where sunlight can illuminate the creamy centers of its falls and emphasize their darker edging. Repeating small touches of burgundy or purple elsewhere in the planting will pick up its markings while allowing the yellow standards to remain prominent.