Iris 'Florentina'

Also Known As

Iris florentina
Iris germanica 'Florentina'
Florentine Iris
Orris Root

Plant type

perennial

size

H: 18"-34"
W: 18"-36"

planting zones

5a-9b

More Options

Iris 'Florentina' plant details

Iris 'Florentina' is a broadleaf deciduous or semi-evergreen perennial with green foliage. In spring and summer lavender and white flowers emerge. Features grassy texture. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and regular - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Prefers to be dry in summer. Does well in average, gritty and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Iris 'Florentina'

Plant type: perennial
Plant family: iridaceae
Foliage: deciduous or semi-evergreen green
Mature size: 18 IN - 36 IN - wide, 18 IN - 34 IN - tall
Flowers: lavender and white blooms in spring and summer
Uses: cutting garden, edging plant, fragrant, rock garden

GROWING CONDITIONS for Iris 'Florentina'

USDA Zones: 5a - 9b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
Watering frequency: regular - low
Resistant to: deer and rabbit, verticillium wilt
Soil needs: average, gritty and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

(ORRIS ROOT, FLORENTINE IRIS) Dried rhizomes have a strong violet fragrance and are used by perfumers and in potpourri – 18-20” tall with large white flowers in May with yellow & lavender tinged falls – Easy to grow – Attractive foliage – decent drainage, sun to part shade, drought tolt, deer resistant USDA Z5 3” pot

By: Secret Garden Growers

Flowers are an ethereal mauve, nearly white, and arise in early summer. This is a famous old iris, used for centuries in perfumery and potpourri. The root, dried and powdered, gives off the scent of violets, and the scent lasts for years. 30" tall. Culture - Treat them like standard bearded iris, and plant in well-drained soil and full sun. The soil should be fertile, but avoid heavy applications of compost or manure. Iris prefer not to be crowded in the garden, and should be divided every 3 or 4 years. Hardy from Zone 3-9. Plants are shipped Bare-Root

By: Summersweet Gardens at Perennial Pleasures

If I could grow only one iris, this might be it. Its color is a pale, luminous pewter - unique and ravishing. Its falls are long, like the ears of a basset hound. Its blooms kick off iris season. And its history is deep. Although modern scholars say it's not the I. florentina or "white iris" of ancient times - now I. albicans - since at least the 1500s its rhizomes have been dried and sold as orris-root, a prized ingredient in herbal medicines and perfumery.