Iris fulva

Common Names

Copper Iris, Red Iris, Tawny Iris, Louisiana Iris

Summary

Iris fulva, commonly called Copper Iris, is a rhizomatous perennial native to wetlands of the southern and central United States, with greatest distribution in the Mississippi River valley, it forms large clumps from slender rhizomes, has bright green sword-shaped leaves up to about 70 cm long, and flowering stems reaching about 45–80 cm tall that bear copper-red to brick-red flowers (about 2–3 inches across) with three drooping falls and three standards, the blooms are fragrant and appear in spring to early summer, attracting hummingbirds and bees, prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils that are acidic to neutral, tolerates shallow standing water up to about 6 inches, making it suitable for ponds, bog gardens, rain gardens, and wetlands edges, it spreads by rhizomes and is best propagated by division every 3–4 years, seeds germinate slowly and may take several years to flower, hardy in USDA zones 5–9, deer resistant and attractive to hummingbirds and bees, making it a wildlife-friendly addition to appropriate landscapes

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-3 feet

Spread

12-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Sun or Partial Shade

Soil Type

Moist to wet, well-drained, rich loamy soil with ample organic matter that stays consistently moist

Soil Drainage

Moist to wet soil, tolerates standing water

Soil pH

Neutral pH is ideal, tolerates a range of about 6.0–7.5

Bloom Color

Copper

Bloom Time

Spring to early summer

Foliage Color

Green, ranging from mid-green at the base to lime-green at the tips.

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts hummingbirds, Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators