How to Care for Louisiana Iris

One of the pleasures of living in Louisiana is enjoying the Louisiana iris. The iris is one of Louisiana hundreds of native plants, happy in the swamps and equally happy in your pond or anywhere in your garden. It's an early spring bloomer in subtropical climates and brings fields of color to the garden or the pond. Put them in your pond and then around it so the iris looks as if it jumped out of your pond and just kept going. The iris comes in a multitude of colors and multiplies each year so you will enjoy them for years. Hardy to USDA Zone Five, we have no excuse not to grow this fabulous plant. Read on to learn how to care for the Louisiana iris.

Things You'll Need

• Louisiana iris
• A pond or bog garden because the iris loves wet feet
• A spot anywhere in the garden to plant a somewhat invasive, but altogether worthwhile plant
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. 

   Know that the Louisiana iris can be identified by the distinctive fan shape of the strap leaves as seen in the top photo. Even without blooms, the strap leaf shape is distinctive in the landscape and adds great shape and texture to your design.

2. 

   Know that a common color is yellow, but the iris comes in colors from dark purple to light blue. They die back in the winters and return in the spring. They tend to grow outward in a circle as the new growth arrives. The iris flowers on the new growth. If you decide to share with a friend, you will normally dig out a plant from the outside of the circle of new growth. Your friend's iris will flower. Yours will not.

3. 

   Cut your iris back each fall so new growth can come up in the spring. Cut them down to about 2 inches tall.

4. 

   When you divide your iris in the fall, simply dig them up and separate the corms. Each of them will grow. Plant them wherever you wish in the garden and enjoy them in the spring.

5. Fertilize lightly with an all purpose 15-15-15 fertilizer in the spring before flowering.

Tips & Warnings

• Irises need little care. They will grow in ponds, in bogs or in pots.

• Make sure the irises do not get overcrowded or the plants in the middle will stop blooming.