Flowers

concerned in grow some bicolor sword lily this year but not sure if it ’s the right plant for you ? Wondering what kind of iris you’re able to grow in your southern garden ? In this clause , licence master nurseryman Liz Jaros offers 9 reasons why you might want to give this lesser - known , ardent - climate iris a closer look .

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bicolor iris

Though not a member of the Iris genus , the bicolor fleur-de-lis ( Dietes bicolor ) hails from the same plant family ( Iridaceae ) as its German , Siberian , Dutch , and Japanese iris first cousin and shares a lot of the same characteristics .

Its creamy white flowers are more orchid - like in kind than the common iris diaphragm , but they share the same pattern of 3 belittled upper petals and 3 large lower flower petal . They also have potent ‘ sign ’ near their throat , rhizomatous roots , and strappy , upright foliage .

The biggest departure between bicolor sword lily and plants from the well - known Iris genus is their part of rootage . Dietes bicolor is native to South Africaand partial derivative to warm , more humid regions , while its European and Asiatic relatives prefer tank , drier climates .

Close-up of blooming Dietes bicolor flowers in a sunny garden, against a blurred background of green foliage. The plant has long, sword-shaped leaves and delightful flowers on slender stems. The flowers are large, pure white, consisting of three outer poor petals and three inner white ones. The outer petals have dark spots with an orange rim and freckles.

Often casually touch to as an African iris ( due to its native roots ) or a fortnight lily ( because it flower every two weeks and has lily - like leaves ) and often confused with the bi - gloss flag ( which is a term commonly used to trace a traditional iris with multi - colored petals ) , a true Dietes bicolor iris diaphragm is its own unique genus .

Averaging 24 inch in top with a full , round wont and sending up multiple flowers per still hunt , bicolor iris plants are hardy between zones 9 and 11 .

They permit soil that does not drain dead and will thrive in multiple sun conditions . We think this isan underrated perennialworth checking out , and we ’ve come up with 9 cause why you might desire to plant some in your yard this season .

Close-up of a blooming Dietes bicolor flower covered with water drops against a background of green foliage. The plant produces tufts of elegant and strong erect green leaves that grow in a fan shape. The flower is large, consists of three white outer petals with dark orange spots and white inner petals.

You Love a Natural Garden Aesthetic

When planted en masse , bicolor iris create a natural , grassland vibe in the landscape . Its leave sway and move in the zephyr , itscreamy flowers float above the leaf , and it blooms off and on from natural spring to late summer .

After blossoming ends , bicolor ’s dense root systemdiscourages invasive speciesfrom strike in , while its concentrated foliation holds a prissy green colour long into the fall .

Do not implant this genus in rows or adjudicate to control its facing pages if you want a natural force . have these plants wind and curve at the edge of the holding , or give them some room to roll near a creek bed . Work some small , native perennial into the mix and have them mingle as they would in the natural state .

Close-up of flowering Dietes bicolor plants in a sunny garden. The plant forms bunches of vertical sword-shaped leaves, dark green in color. The flowers are medium in size, growing on thin vertical stems. They are creamy white with dark orange spots on the outer petals.

You Live in a Warm, Humid Part of the World

To rise Dietes bicolor as a perennial , you ’ll need to live somewhere warm and moist . As natives of South Africa , these durable beauties have a hot story and will not survive in areas that receive temperature below 25 degree Fahrenheit .

botanist have given this perennial ahardiness zona reach of 9 to 11 , which means northern gardeners are out of lot unless they want to dig them up and convey them inside for wintertime .

Dietes also revel morehumiditythan their European iris cousins and wilting in the hot , dry sun . If you ’d like to arise them in an desiccate mood , plant them where they will get some relief from live afternoon ray and be prepared to provide auxiliary tearing . A hose or irrigation system with a mist setting will typically do the trick .

Close-up of a blooming Dietes bicolor flower in a garden, against a backdrop of green foliage. Leaves The leaves are linear and elongated, resembling narrow swords. They are dark green in color with pointed tips. The flower consists of creamy white outer tepals, while inner tepals are adorned with bright markings in shades of orange and brown.

You Have a Large, Sunny Area With Moist Soil

Bicolor irises will flower best in areas with at least 6 hour of sunlight per day and choose moist soil . They can even handle longsighted periods of standing water during their participating grow periods . This makes them particularly well - beseem to low expanse or waterside locations where wet level may rise and settle throughout the 24-hour interval , week , or year .

During full stop of drouth or in locations with soil that tends toward dry , supply supplemental lacrimation as needed tokeep your bicolor iris antecedent moist , healthy , andactive . This may think 3 to 5 times per calendar week , depending on your unique conditions , humidity floor , and rain totals . Or it may mean once or double . If your irises are wilting or sagging , they are probably athirst .

You’re Looking for a Neutral Addition to Your Perennial Pallete

Bicolor fleur-de-lis pair well with almost everything you may already have in the thou . Their neutral white flower gloss does not compete with other perennials or call out for attention . Although stunning in a large mass , the genus is also completely comfortable in a patronise role .

Plant Dietes with other E. B. White and emollient for a serenemoon gardeneffect , or mould them into a sheer tropic landscape toprovide dividing line . They can also be incorporated into a soft pastel pallet with pinks , purples , and yellows .

You Need Texture in the Landscape

Bicolor irises are fundamentally evergreen plant life and will hold their leave all season . For this reason , they serve an aesthetic aim in the landscape even when not in bloom .

Their uncompromising , upright cast and natural spring shape create anexcellent ground for low - spread out perennials . Their leafage also provides a great , spiky direct contrast against finely textured or bright colored leaves of other flowering plants .

You may remark some brownish or wilted leaves later on in the time of year , in particular on the undermost layers . These can be crop off with a pruning putz or pulled by hand to keep plants level-headed and green all year .

Close-up of Dietes bicolor flowering plants in the garden. The plants produce beautiful tufts of long, upright leaves. The leaves are linear, with pointed tips, dark green, with smooth edges. The flowers are medium, reminiscent of the shape of irises. They have three outer petals (known as “falls” or tepals) and three inner petals (known as “standards” or tepals) that are slightly different in size and shape. The petals are white with dark markings.

You Want a Unique “Thriller” for Your Container Garden

The same attributes that make the bicolor iris a lulu in natural preferences make it a succeeder in the container garden . With a sturdy , just leaf social system that hold its colouration all time of year and a achromatic , creamy white flower palette , this plant works really well as a fundamental figure in a patio mess or araised bed .

couple bicolor iris with annualsthat will provide weather color , and bed in some trail plants to spill over the side . You ’ll have a unique arrangement that stays beautiful from saltation to devolve , and you’re able to leave behind the irises in blank space to come back next year .

design to divide every other descent to keep your container from getting crowded . And cut leaves down to keep growth vigorous and salubrious .

Top view, close-up of a blooming Dietes bicolor in the garden, against a background of orange paving slabs. The plant produces a beautiful large flower, shaped like an iris. The flower consists of large creamy yellow outer petals with dark brown-orange markings closer to the center, and smaller inner petals of the same shade.

You Want to Attract Pollinators

With colorful yellow splotching at their throats and a clear , sweet scent , bicolor irises areattractive to pollinatorslike butterfly , bee , insects , and birds . When planted in large amount in a cheery location , their leaves and flowers provide graze option to a host of pollinators .

establish them in the locality of food harvest to serve promote a robust green groceries season , or work them into an urban terrace plan toprovide pollinate opportunitieswhere they can be scarce . Since bicolor irises are so gentle to handle for and fly high even when slightly neglected , they make a natural alternative for pollinator - focused companion plantings .

You Can Give Them a Little Room to Run

Since bicolor fleur-de-lis diffuse via rootstock enlargement and cum dissemination , they multiply easily and can ingest a large field rather quickly if left unbridled . This can be a good thing if you ’re looking tosuppress weeds , crowd out encroaching plant species , or substitute traditional turf grass , but maybe not so undecomposed in a small urban backyard that is tight on infinite .

Remove spend flower heads before they go to ejaculate and drift in the wind to control their spread . This will stop them from self - planting elsewhere on your prop . you could also control their territory by digging them up and redistributing new rhizomes or installing a hard border that will forbid roots from run where you do n’t want them .

You’d Like to Control Erosion

In landscapes with slosh terrain or prone to corroding , bicolor irises can be effectively used to hold soil in shoes . The plant ’s dense , fibrous root structure can play a major role in preventing surface loss from wind , rain , and running H2O .

They alsokeep the earth oxygenise and loamywhile discouraging soil compaction that can render the soil less fertile .

Since the genus can tolerate pie-eyed filth and periods of standing piddle , bicolor iris can be planted near the shore of a lake or pond that climb and light with rain tier .

Close-up of a Black Bee hovering next to an Iris flower against a blue sky. The iris flower is medium in size, composed of white petals with orange markings and freckles on the outer petals. The Black Bee is a large flying insect with a black body.

They also work well on a hill or switchback that descends to the water ’s edge , creating ocular pastime and morphological unity . So implant bicolor irises for erosion control is both pretty and bright .

Final Thoughts

While Dietes bicolor is not a plant genus on the crown of everyone ’s natural language , we feel it should be ! With a bloom period that essentially comes and goes all season , a foliage shape that proves attractive in the garden even when the plant life is not flower , and a allowance for ground that does not always run out perfectly , bicolor iris is definitely an underrated optionfor meet some of your most canonic garden motivation .

Top view, close-up of two flowering Dietes bicolor flowers surrounded by dark green foliage. The leaves are vertical, linear, sword-shaped, with pointed tips and smooth edges. The flowers are medium in size and have creamy white petals with orange-brown markings.

Top view, close-up of a Dietes bicolor flower against a blurred background of green foliage. The leaves are vertical, thin, linear, with pointed tips. The flower is large, in the form of an iris, consists of creamy-white outer wide petals with orange-brown markings closer to the center.