1 / 3

Key characteristics

Classification: Tall Bearded Iris (TB), Blend
Height: 3 feet
Width: 1 to 1 1/2 feet
Flower color: Golden yellow, plum, violet and muted rosy tan
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 'In Living Color'

In Living Color Iris

Iris 'In Living Color' is a tall bearded iris with heavily ruffled flowers that bloom in midseason. Bright golden-yellow standards rise above multicolored falls that shift from plum near the shoulders through violet and muted rosy tan, finishing with a narrow golden edge. Small gold patches surround the bright yellow beards, intensifying the warm color at the flower's center. The blooms have a pronounced musky fragrance, while upright, sword-shaped green foliage forms tidy fans below the flowering stems.

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate, drought tolerant once established

Bloom time

Midseason

Find this plant

Works well in

Cottage Gardens
Borders
Cut Flower Gardens
Mediterranean Gardens
Waterwise Gardens

Companion plants

Dwarf smoke bush · Shrub cinquefoil · Purple salvia · Golden yarrow · Blue flax · Silver horehound · Creeping stonecrop

Design tip

Let 'In Living Color' bridge warm and cool sections of a planting rather than treating it as a single-color accent. Its yellow standards connect naturally with golds, while the violet and plum falls can carry the eye toward nearby purple flowers.