Monticello Gardens

Common name: Sweet Iris, Dalmatian iris, Sweet Flag

Family: Iridaceae (Iris)

Distribution: Balkans

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber)

Usage: Ornamental

Comments: This handsome Iris species belongs to an ancient group, dating to the seventeenth century, which was the ancestor to our modern Tall Bearded Iris. Early American settlers grew Iris pallida types because they were easy to transport across the Atlantic and the continent. They are tough, drought resistant, long-lived, and resistant to borers and disease. Jefferson grew Iris at Monticello, but it is not clear whether or not this species was among them.