Irises are some of the most popular of bog plants. The foliage is attractive makes a good backdrop or as a companion to some of the other plants in the bog. The flowers have an eye-catching appeal, being among some of the the most exotic flowers in the pond. They are also great as filtering agents in ponds and can be grown in any moist area. This Iris can be planted along the edge of the pond or directly in the water itself. After established as small plants, they should be planted in shallow water in a container that is wider than it is deep, A bulb pan or shallow nursery container works great.  This way, the plant can spread out and is not as likely to become pot-bound as it would be if it were planted in a tall, narrow container. Iris pseudacorus do best if cut back and thinned out every two years and the dead leaves should not be allowed to accumulate.

This is one of the more robust Iris. The tall, thick leaves contrast well in the spring with tall spikes of bright yellow flowers. This plant grows up to 5 feet tall, with the flowers on stalks up to 6 feet high.  Best to place in the back of the bog with cattails, etc.

Culture from Seed

Iris seeds need to be stratified before they will germinate. To avoid using up space with a myriad of pots during stratification,  place about a tablespoonful of seed-starting mix, (such as Jiffy-mix or Redi-Earth) just moistened (not wet), in a plastic zip-lock bag.   Place the bag in the refrigerator (not freezer) for at least 9 weeks, or until you're ready to grow the seedlings. The seeds will germinate at different rates, but most will start to sprout about 2 weeks after you remove them to room temperature. Check the bag frequently and pot up as they germinate.  Keep the bag out of the sun or they will cook rather than germinate! This method saves space, as it eliminates having pots sitting around which contain seeds that may never germinate. However, they may also be started in pots if you have the space.  Grow on in pots for at least 6 weeks after germination.  Harden off before planting out in the bog or pond.  Full sun is best for established plants.  The young ones will appreciate some shade in the hot afternoon sun.

Plants will not bloom the first year and may not the second.  Depends on your climate and growing conditions.  Its leaves sometimes die back over winter, but persist if winters are mild.  Divide every two years or so.

This is a wetland plant and will do poorly in dry areas.   This good-looking plant  is also used in sewage treatment, and is known to be able to remove metals from wastewaters. Like cat-tails, yellow iris colonizes into large numbers, forming very dense monotypic stands, out competing other plants.  In a natural earthen pond, you may want to grow in containers to keep them in bounds.  For the smaller home pond with liners, containers are a must. Dead-head after bloom to prevent seed formation.

Dead-heading after bloom will give you bigger, more vigorous plants.  We have had some re-bloom in late summer when dead-headed.  Normal bloom is May-June in Zone 5.  Hardy in zones 2-9.