Iris domestica
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Tried and True Recommended by 5 Professionals
Common Name: blackberry lily
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Iridaceae
Zone: 5 to 10
Native Range: Central Asia, India, China, Japan
Garden Location: Kemper Cutting Garden, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Flower Borders
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Spread: 0.75 to 2 feet
Bloom Time: July to August
Bloom Color: Orange
Bloom Description: Orange dotted with red
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flowers: Showy Flowers
Fruit: Showy Fruit
Tolerates: Drought
Uses: Dried Flower

Culture

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Likes moist soils, but poorly-drained ones, particularly in winter, can be fatal. Clumps slowly expand by creeping rhizomes. May self-seed in optimum growing conditions which helps keep these somewhat short-lived perennials in the garden.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Blackberry lily (also commonly called leopard lily) is an erect, rhizomatous perennial which typically grows 2-3' tall. Lily-like, deep orange flowers (to 2" across), heavily spotted with red dots, have 6 petal-like perianth segments. Flowers appear in early to-mid summer in sprays above the foliage on wiry, naked stems typically rising to 3' (less frequently to 4') tall. Sword-shaped, iris-like, medium green leaves (to 10" long) are in flattened fans. Flowers give way to pear-shaped seed pods which split open when ripe (late summer), with each pod revealing a blackberry-like seed cluster, hence the common name of blackberry lily. Spotting on the flowers gives rise to the additional common name of leopard lily. Formerlyknows as Belamcanda chinensis.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Iris borers may attack plant rhizomes.

Garden Uses

Borders.

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