Iris chrysophylla
Yellow-flowered iris, Yellow-Flowered Iris
(c) Judi Sanders, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Iridaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Iris chrysophylla (Yellow-flowered iris) is a native California herb in the Iridaceae family, recognized by distinctive long narrow tube and short stature.
Yellow-flowered iris is a California native perennial found in the northern Klamath Ranges in northern Del Norte and northwest Siskiyou counties, growing in open conifer forest and roadbanks at elevations of 600 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pale cream-yellow to nearly white flowers with faint blue undertones and burgundy veining, featuring large sepals 4 to 8 centimeters long and 14 to 20 millimeters wide. Growing with an unbranched stem 1 to 12 centimeters tall, it emerges from a slender rhizome 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter. Its basal leaves are 4 to 7 millimeters wide, with 0 to 4 similar cauline leaves, and the flower's perianth tube is narrow and abruptly funnel-shaped, extending 45 to 90 millimeters long. The flower's intricate structure includes narrowly elliptic petals 4 to 6 centimeters long and style branches 35 to 60 millimeters with distinctive tongue-shaped stigmas.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; distinctive long narrow tube and short stature
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Open conifer forest, roadbanks
Elevation: 600-1000 m
California counties: Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, Butte
Outside California: western Oregon
Bloom period
Iris chrysophylla blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Dietes: Iris has broad petal-like style branches; Dietes has thread-like styles and flowers lasting only one day.; vs Canna: Iris has six-parted flowers with drooping sepals; Canna has asymmetric flowers with one petal-like stamen.; vs Hemerocallis: Iris has petal-like style branches opposite stamens; Hemerocallis has simple thread-like styles and six equal tepals.; vs Typha: Iris has showy six-parted flowers; Typha has dense brown cylindrical flower spikes (cattails).; vs Sisyrinchium: Iris has large flowers with drooping outer sepals; Sisyrinchium has small flat flowers with six equal tepals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Iris chrysophylla native to California?
Yes. Iris chrysophylla is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Iris chrysophylla bloom?
Iris chrysophylla blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Iris chrysophylla grow?
Iris chrysophylla occurs in Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, Butte, at elevations of 600-1000 m.
What plant family does Iris chrysophylla belong to?
Iris chrysophylla is in the Iridaceae family, genus Iris.
What habitat does Iris chrysophylla grow in?
Iris chrysophylla grows in Uncommon. Open conifer forest, roadbanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.