FoliageBlue Flag Iris
Iris versicolor
Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) is a perennial, hardy in USDA zones 3-9, that matures to about 2-2.5 ft × 2-2.5 ft. It does best in full sun and part shade with high water needs in standing-water, moist and occasionally-wet soil. Expect blue and purple blooms in spring and summer. It attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, stands up well to deer and wet soil, grows happily in containers.
- USDA zones
- 3-9
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water
- High
- Mature size
- 2-2.5 ft × 2-2.5 ft
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- Standing-water, Moist, Occasionally-wet
- Bloom color
- Blue, Purple
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
- Tough against
- Deer, Wet soil
- Toxic to
- Humans
- Native to
- Northeastern North America
In the landscape
Data sources
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Blue Flag Iris is hardy to about -40°F (estimated from USDA zone 3), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
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