Milky iris is a tough, clump-forming iris from the dry grasslands of Asia, named for its pale, milky-toned flowers. It isn't native to the US, but gardeners grow it as a hardy perennial for USDA zones 3–9 that copes with dry, poor, and even salty soil.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A perennial with a thick, creeping wrapped in reddish-purple fibers. Plants reach about 1–20 in (3–50 cm) tall, with flower stems 4–12 in (10–30 cm).
- Leaves
- Narrow, grayish-green leaves 6–28 in (14–70 cm) long and only about 1/8–1/4 in (3–7 mm) wide.
- Flowers
- Each stem carries 2–4 violet-scented flowers about 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm) across, in pale blue, violet, or white. The white are veined with blue or purple.
- Flowering time
- April–June in its native range.
- Fruit
- Seed capsules ripen June–September in its native range.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Steppe meadows
- Grassy slopes
- Roadsides
- River shores
- Range
- Native across temperate Asia, from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India through Central Asia, Siberia, Mongolia, and China to Korea, at about 2,000–12,500 ft (600–3,800 m). In the US it is found only in gardens.
- Preferred conditions
- Likes full sun but tolerates some shade. Handles soil that dries out in summer and salty ground.
Growing it
- Care
- Hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Good for rock gardens and mass planting. Grow from seed or by dividing clumps. It has also been used in breeding dwarf bearded irises.
Name and classification
- About the name
- East Asian plants are often listed as Iris lactea var. chinensis. Some classifications split them off as a separate species, Iris oxypetala.
- Varieties and forms
- Flower color varies from pale blue to violet and white; a yellow-flowered form is also grown.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- In China, where it is called ma lin, the leaves are used for animal fodder, thatch, mats, and baskets, and the leaf fibers for paper and brushes.
- The name lactea is Latin for "milky," after the pale flower color.
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