Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii
Photo: parent species Iris hartwegii · (c) Brendan Black, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Iridaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii is a native California herb in the Iridaceae family, recognized by yellow flowers and green leaf bases diagnostic.
Hartweg's iris is a California native perennial found in the southern Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada on slopes in open pine forest at elevations of 400 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pale to gold-yellow flowers with darker veining, featuring a barrel-shaped perianth tube. Growing with rhizomes 7 to 10 millimeters in diameter and stems 7 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms distinctive clumps in forest openings. Its basal leaves are approximately 5 to 10 millimeters wide, with a characteristically green base. The plant's flowers emerge from outer bracts 6 to 11 centimeters long and 9 to 14 millimeters wide, typically in pairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; yellow flowers and green leaf bases diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Slopes in open pine forest
Elevation: 400-2300 m
California counties: El Dorado, Butte, Tuolumne, Nevada, Fresno, Placer, Yuba, Amador, Calaveras, Plumas, Modoc, Lassen, Madera, Kern, Sierra, Tulare
Bloom period
Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii 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 hartwegii subsp. hartwegii native to California?
Yes. Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii bloom?
Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii grow?
Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii occurs in El Dorado, Butte, Tuolumne, Nevada, Fresno, Placer, Yuba, Amador and other counties, at elevations of 400-2300 m.
What plant family does Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii belong to?
Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii is in the Iridaceae family, genus Iris.
What habitat does Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii grow in?
Iris hartwegii subsp. hartwegii grows in Common. Slopes in open pine forest.
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.