Resource Guide:Pacific Coast Iris

Pacific Coast iris blooming in spring. Photo: courtesy of Wild Ginger Farm

Pacific Coast iris (Iris, beardless section Californicae and cultivars, Iridaceae)

History: Pacific Coast iris are native to the West Coast, from Southern California to southwest Washington, in and west of the Sierra Nevada, Cascade, and Coast ranges. Highest diversity of species is in Northern California and southern Oregon. First cultivated and hybridized in England in the late 19th century from species seed collected in California. In the early 20th century, gardeners in California and Australia began to hybridize, starting with wild seeds from I. douglasiana and I. innominata.

Best features: Evergreen plants with brilliant jewel-toned flowers in a wide color range with intricate patterning. Suitable for border planting at the front to middle of the beds, for dry meadows with one annual fall mowing, or open woodland gardens with partial to full shade. Generally disease resistant with little annual maintenance needed to keep in good condition. Deer do not find PC iris palatable, though they will eat the occasional flower bud...