Copper Iris (Iris fulva)

A distinctive iris with dark rusty red blooms! Grows best in poorly drained, mucky soil or shallow water, but adapts well to moist garden beds. Attractive to hummingbirds!

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet, Wet Mesic

Soil Type: Clay, Muck, Shallow Water

Height: 2’-3’

Bloom Color: Red/Brown

Bloom Time: May-Jun

Root Type: Rhizome

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Flowers attract bees and ruby-throated hummingbirds. Hosts a few moths such as the iris borer and agreeable tiger moth, and some smaller insects. Rarely browsed by mammals, though muskrats may occasionally eat tubers.

Notes: Hybridizes in the wild with zigzag iris, hybrids are referred to as iris x fulvala.