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Virginia Iris

Iris virginica

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in tidal and nontidal marshes and swamps, stream margins, flatwoods, wet meadows, bogs. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

56
Strong

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
1–2.5 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Moist to standing water

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
March to June
Fruiting season
May to September

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 10 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 4

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

Wet meadows

Open, wet, grassy or sedgy ground that is not a bog.

All habitats

Care

  • Do not let the soil dry out during the growing season.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

9CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Iris

  • Amphipoea americanaAmerican Ear Moth, American Borer
  • Endothenia hebesanaVerbena Bud Moth
  • Moodna ostrinellaDarker Moodna
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Xanthopastis regnatrixConvict Caterpillar, Spanish Quaker, Spanish Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
15BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Iris

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Iris

  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Iridaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Blue or purple
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
May
Fruit ends
September

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources