Iris pseudacorus

Horticultural iris

Family: Iridaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Horticultural iris is a naturalized perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern and central Sierra Nevada Foothills, western edge of central Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, Central Western California, Southern California Coast, and Transverse Ranges in pond margins and estuaries at elevations of 100 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces bright yellow or cream flowers with prominent brown veins, featuring large sepals 5 to 8 centimeters long and 35 to 50 millimeters wide. Growing with branched stems 50 to 150 centimeters tall emerging from thick rhizomes 30 to 40 millimeters in diameter, it has stiff basal leaves 20 to 35 millimeters wide with a conspicuous midvein. Its leaves include 3 to 6 cauline leaves similar to the basal leaves, with flowers arranged in branches containing 3 to 6 blooms. The fruit develops 5 to 8 centimeters long, completing this distinctive naturalized iris's reproductive cycle.

Habitat: Common. Pond margins, estuaries

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 100-1400 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRI, n&ampc SNF, w edge c SNH, GV, CW, SCo, TR

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, Riverside, Orange, Madera, Sacramento, San Diego, Solano, Siskiyou, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa, Butte, Shasta, Marin, San Mateo, Mendocino, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.