8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)

Irises are a favourite amongst gardeners and florists all around the entire world. These perennials have gorgeous blooms and appear in many colours and prosperous historical past. Since of how common irises are, there are numerous iris sorts obtainable.

Even with how many irises there are, all irises tumble into 1 of two groups. Nevertheless, the sheer selection of iris types means that gardeners have quite a number of choices to choose from.

To understand about the 27 most well-known iris flowers, hold reading. This post entirely points out the two categories of iris bouquets and supplies an overview of the most popular subtypes of irises in each types.

Bulb Irises vs. Rhizome Irises

1st, it is essential to know that there are only two types of irises: bulb irises and rhizome irises. Every single iris you see belongs to one particular of these two categories. What differentiates the two iris types is how they are planted and expand.

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: Left – Bulb Iris (Buntysmum, Pixabay); Right – Rhizome Iris (jhenning, Pixabay)
Bulb Iris

Bulb irises are far more well-known among gardeners because they are less complicated to grow in between the two iris sorts. Plus, some of the most recognizable irises slide in the bulb classification, additional creating them the a lot more well-liked iris kind between the two.

As its title indicates, bulb irises are planted in a bulb. These bouquets typically bloom early in the year, much previously than the rhizome irises, and they are considerably smaller way too.

Rhizome Iris

Rhizome irises are a little bit various than bulbous irises. They are planted as rhizomes, which are sideways growing stems. They then shoot out laterally beneath the surface until finally a shoot kinds, ensuing in the plant. Other rhizome crops incorporate turmeric and ginger.

Rhizome irises are not as popular as bulbous irises basically because they are a little bit a lot more difficult to expand. You can grow rhizome irises without having a lot trouble, but most commencing gardeners should commence with bulbous irises instead.

The 27 Most Common Iris Flowers

Even although there are only two groups of irises, there are way far more than just two varieties of irises. Rather, there are dozens of iris bouquets, each one belonging to one particular of the two types explained previously mentioned. Here are some of the most common irises (19 bulb irises and 9 rhizome irises) around the globe:

1. Dutch Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: Faintt, Pixabay
Scientific Name: Iris hollandica
Iris Type: Bulbous

The most frequent iris close to the globe is the Dutch Iris. This iris is the most utilized by florists and lower down for bouquets. Interestingly, there are a variety of subtypes and hybrids of Dutch irises. For example, the Spanish Iris is a highly renowned Dutch Irish hybrid. Some of the more well-liked sorts for gardening consist of Dutch Iris Apollo and Magic Blue.

5 Dutch Iris Varieties:
  • Blue Magic
  • White Excelsior
  • Yellow Queen
  • Apollo
  • Spanish Iris

2. Reticulata Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: MabelAmber, Pixabay
Scientific Name: Iris reticulata
Iris Type: Bulbous

The Reticulata Iris is yet another well-known iris. It tends to be 1 of the earliest blooming of all iris flowers. At times, this iris type is named the Netted Iris simply because its bulb has a fibrous net close to it. The bouquets are amazingly showy, creating them a favourite in gardens.

5 Reticulata Iris Varieties:
  • Iris Danforidae
  • Iris harmony
  • Katherine/Katharine Hodgkin
  • Lady Beatrice Stanley
  • Angel Tears

3. Bearded Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: Ralphs_Fotos, Pixabay
Scientific Name: Iris germanica
Iris Type: Bulbous

Of the rhizome irises, the Bearded Iris is the most popular. These bouquets have super loud petals, and they are typically considerably simpler to expand than other rhizome irises. The title “Bearded” refers to the hairs that are found on each of the falls. The goal of these hairs is to draw in pollinators, but they are beautiful too!

9 Bearded Iris Varieties:
  • Iris Clarence
  • Beverly Sills
  • Hello Darkness
  • Jesse’s Song
  • Stairway to Heaven
  • Titan’s Glory Edith Wolford
  • Dusky Challenger
  • Queen’s Circle
  • Dwarf Bearded Iris

4. Dwarf Bearded Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: zoosnow, Pixabay
Scientific Name: Iris germanica
Iris Type: Rhizome

As you probably determine from its identify, the Dwarf Bearded Iris is just like the Bearded Iris. The only difference is that it is considerably smaller sized. Whereas most Bearded Irises increase to be in between eight and fifteen inches tall, the Dwarf Bearded Iris by no means grows previously mentioned 8 inches. Most of the Bearded iris types can be located in Dwarf type as well.


5. Beardless Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: kittomalley, Pixabay
Scientific Name: Iris germanica
Iris Type: Rhizome

The Beardless Iris is like the Bearded Iris. It is a rhizome iris, but it does not have beards. Alternatively, the flowers have vivid strips down the heart to support draw in pollinators. Beardless Irises are not as desirable as the Bearded Irises, but they can endure a ton of situations.

Like the other irises we have looked at so significantly, there are tons of diverse Beardless Iris versions. Some of the most well-liked Beardless Irises incorporate Wild Irises, Pacific Coast Natives, Louisiana Irises, and Siberian Irises. An additional tremendous beautiful Beardless Iris to contemplate is the Japanese Iris, even though it can be difficult to grow.

5 Beardless Iris Varieties:
  • Siberian
  • Louisiana
  • Japanese
  • Pacific Coast Native
  • Spuria Iris

6. Crested Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: GabrielDouglas, Pixabay
Scientific Name: Iris crestata
Iris Type: Rhizome

The Crested Iris is a single of the most stunning bouquets on the earth. This flower consists of equally beards and signals, making it virtually like a blend of the Bearded Iris and the Beardless Iris. This mix indicates that the Crested Iris is visually spectacular from every single angle.


7. Dwarf Crested Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Dwarf Crested Iris (7125454557) (Image Credit: Kid Cowboy, Wikimedia Commons CC SA 2.0 Generic)
Scientific Name: Iris crestata
Iris Type: Rhizome

The Dwarf Crested Iris is a indigenous dwarf species. It is great for woodland gardeners, and it only grows to be about six inches tall. It is just like the Crested Iris, but it is considerably scaled-down.

Related Go through: 31 Varieties of Blue Bouquets


8. Yellow Flag Iris

8 Types of Iris Flowers & 19 Iris Varieties (with Pictures)
Image Credit: xivic, Pixabay
Scientific Name: Iris pseudacorus
Iris Type: Rhizome

The final iris on our checklist is the Yellow Flag Iris. We have made this our last iris due to the fact it is one particular you must only plant and grow with wonderful worry. The Yellow Flag Iris is deemed an invasive species in several areas. So, be certain to read through up about the iris in your spot just before developing it.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are dozens of iris types accessible, and we haven’t even deemed fifty percent of them. The irises over are regarded as some of the most common all around the globe. No matter whether you just have a little indoor backyard or an total component of your garden focused to your bouquets, you must be capable to uncover an iris to match your region, choices, and backyard garden dimensions.

If you are just increasing irises for the 1st time, we advocate beginning with bulbous irises. These will be easier to apply your gardening expertise. After you grasp the bulbous iris, you can go on to the rhizome iris as well, but come to feel free to adhere with the bulbous iris if you want. After all, they are all stunning!


Highlighted Image Credit: zoosnow, Pixabay

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