Netted iris

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade, especially beneath deciduous shrubs that are bare when it flowers.

Water

Keep moderately moist during autumn root growth and spring growth, but never waterlogged. Keep relatively dry while dormant in summer.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gritty or loamy soil, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline. Avoid heavy soil that stays wet in winter.

Height

0.3-0.5 ft (0.1-0.15 m) in flower; leaves may reach 1 ft (0.3 m) afterward

Spread

0.2-0.3 ft (0.05-0.1 m) per bulb, gradually forming small clumps

Flowers

Late winter to early spring; violet-blue to purple flowers with a yellow or orange ridge and pale markings on the lower petals.

Foliage

Narrow, upright, pointed green leaves with a roughly square cross-section; these lengthen after flowering and die back by summer.

Growth

Moderate; bulbs produce offsets, though repeat flowering can be uneven.

Care needed

Low

• Plant bulbs in autumn about 3-4 in (8-10 cm) deep and 3 in (8 cm) apart.
• Water during active growth if rainfall is scarce; let surplus water drain freely from pots.
• Apply a light dressing of bulb fertiliser as leaves emerge, following the label rate.
• Leave all green foliage intact so it can replenish the bulbs.
• Avoid routine summer irrigation over dormant bulbs; use containers if nearby plants need frequent watering.
• Lift and separate crowded clumps after the leaves have yellowed, replanting promptly or storing dry until autumn.

Pruning. Remove spent flowers if you do not want seed. Cut off foliage only once it has yellowed and dried naturally.

Autumn

Plant firm, healthy bulbs in free-draining soil or containers with drainage holes.

Late winter

Check emerging shoots and buds for slug damage; keep pots moist but not saturated.

Early spring

Apply a light bulb feed while leaves are actively growing.

Spring

Remove faded flowers, leaving stems and green leaves to die back naturally.

Late spring

Once foliage yellows, lift and divide crowded clumps if needed.

Summer

Keep dormant bulbs relatively dry and protect containers from prolonged rain.

• Plant small groups beside paths or steps so the low flowers are easy to see.
• Use shallow containers near an entrance for a temporary late-winter display.
• Tuck bulbs into sunny rock gardens or raised gravel beds where drainage is sharp.
• Combine with snowdrops, crocuses and winter aconites beneath deciduous shrubs for successive early flowers.

Garden styles it suits: Alpine rock garden, Dry gravel garden, Cottage garden, Winter interest, Small-space and Sensory garden.

Plant it with: Snowdrops, Crocuses, Winter aconites, Christmas roses, Glory-of-the-snow and Dwarf daffodils.

Wildlife: Flowers can provide pollen and nectar for bees active on mild late-winter days, although cold weather often limits visits.

• Bulb rot in wet soil: improve drainage or grow in pots, and discard soft or mouldy bulbs.
• Poor flowering after the first year: keep leaves until fully yellow, feed during growth and provide a relatively dry summer rest; small offsets may need several years to flower.
• Slugs and snails eating shoots or flowers: inspect emerging growth and use barriers, hand-picking or labelled controls.
• Ink disease, a fungal bulb disease causing black staining and decline: discard affected bulbs and surrounding soil rather than replanting healthy bulbs in the same spot.

Toxic if eaten by people, cats, dogs and horses; all parts should be treated as harmful, particularly the bulbs. Ingestion can cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea, usually mild to moderate but potentially more serious after larger amounts. Sap may irritate skin; wear gloves when handling bulbs if your skin is sensitive.

• Danford's iris (Iris danfordiae)

  Similarly small and early flowering, but its flowers are bright yellow with tiny upright petals rather than the conspicuous upright petals of netted iris.

• Dutch iris (Iris × hollandica)

  Much taller, usually flowering in late spring or early summer, with broader, flatter leaves rather than the narrow, roughly square leaves of netted iris.

The epithet reticulata means netted, referring to the net-like fibres covering the bulb.

Propagation. Separate offsets after the foliage dies back and replant in autumn. Seed is possible, but seedlings take several years to flower and may differ from the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Iris reticulata

Native range

Iran, Iraq, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus and Turkey.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.