california native flora

Iris Pacific Coast Hybrids – Iris Douglasiana

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There is an excitement about planting something when you are not sure exactly what it is or exactly what it will look like. That’s how I felt when I tossed a handful of wildflower seeds into the ground around the bird bath and that’s also how I felt planting California native Irises. We have five Iris specimens here, I know one is Douglas Iris (Iris Douglasiana) and another hybrid has the name “Gold Dust”, but the remaining three are a mystery to me. I’m looking forward to finding out.

I have a bit to learn about Irises. The Douglas Iris is a common plant in Southern California and my wife and I have seen a lot of them planted in suburban retail areas. It has light purple flowers with a white and yellow center. They spread slowly by rhizomes so in time small colonies can develop. The Douglas Iris grows in full sun near the coast but requires some shade further inland. With our sun trap patio I thought it best to put all our Iris specimens in shade. The Douglas Iris is known to hybridize with other Iris species. When mixed with Irises from western states such as Oregon and Washington we get Iris Pacific Coast Hybrids (PCH).