1 / 3Key characteristics
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Height
- 1 to 2 feet
- Width
- 1 to 1.5 feet
- Flower color
- Deep purple to black
- Foliage color
- Green
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Moderate to high
- Maintenance
- Low; remove spent flower stalks and divide clumps every few years
- Growing zone
- Zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Attracts bees and other pollinators
Perennials
Iris chrysographes
Black Iris
Iris chrysographes, commonly known as the black iris, is a beardless perennial iris admired for its dramatic, velvety flowers. The blooms, which appear in late spring to early summer, range from deep purple to near-black and may feature delicate golden veins on the falls.
Native to China and Myanmar, Iris chrysographes thrives in moist, temperate environments and is often planted near water features or in damp garden areas.
Works well in
- Borders
- Cottage Gardens
- Pollinator Gardens
- Rain Gardens
- Containers
Companion plants
Lady's mantle · Hellebores · Hardy geraniums · Hostas · Ferns · Astilbes
Design tip
Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. Because it is easy about light, use it to carry a planting from a sunny end of the bed into the shadier side.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
More perennials
Penstemon ‘Enor’
Enor Beard Tongue
Blooms deep purple
Full sun to partial shade
Calamagrostis brachytricha
Korean Feather Reed Grass
Blooms soft, fluffy pinkish plumes that age to silvery tan
Full sun to partial shade
Maianthemum racemosum subsp. amplexicaule
Western False Solomon's Seal
Blooms creamy white feathery plume like clusters with pink stems, and buds
Partial shade to full shade
Astilbe japonica 'Red Sentinel'
Red Sentinel Astilbe
Blooms rich crimson red plumes that hold their color well as they mature
Partial shade to full shade