Iris cristata Aiton

Dwarf Crested Iris is beloved in southern gardens as it is a beautiful and easy groundcover. In nature, it is found in rich or rocky wooded slopes and stream banks in Eastern states, well inland from the coast, and in NC is reported in mountain and piedmont counties only. Dwarf Crested Iris is short, the pointy sword-shaped leaves growing only to about six inches tall. It has many handsome, frilly blue-to-lilac-to-white, fragrant iris blooms with gold crests on 4-inch stems in May and June, flowering over a period of a couple of weeks. This beautiful, rapidly spreading, rhizomatous ground cover grows well even in the heat of the summer. Where it occurs on our property (we did not plant it), it thrives on a sunny, well drained slope, though it clearly would appreciate some afternoon shade, or a little more moisture. It is a drift of lovely color. Maintenance consists of removing tree seedlings popping up every now and again, and dividing the plants to thin every 2-3 years. The famous American Quaker botanist, John Bartram, introduced Iris cristata to England, where it has been grown since 1766. European gardeners have enjoyed it ever since.