City Lights Bearded Iris

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Full Sun

(At Least 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3 Feet

Mature Spread

2 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 9

The true blue color of City Lights Bearded Iris will give your garden a pop of brightness. The blue is highlighted by white centers and a  bright yellow beard. With a height of 36 inches, City Lights is just right for the middle or back of a garden border. City Lights bloom early in the summer just as the spring bulbs are finishing and again late in the summer, as other perennials are finished blooming.

Iris germanica ‘City Lights’ tolerates a wide range of soil textures and moisture levels. As long as Bearded Irises have well drained soils, full sun and a neutral pH, they are trouble and nearly maintenance free. The best features of this hard working perennial are deer resistance and drought tolerance. Bearded Iris will tolerate being planted closer than other perennials and are very striking when planted in large groups of one or two colors.

City Lights Bearded Iris Care

Iris germanica are native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean area and do well with little extra irrigation after it is well established. The fleshy rhizomes need to be planted with the top third exposed above the soil. The more sun they can have on their feet the better. Fertilizing with a balanced food is needed only after the first round of blooms in the early Summer. 

City Lights Bearded Iris will need very minimal maintenance and will perform like a semi-evergreen plant in the warmer hardiness zones. Only a quick cutting back of dying, or damaged leaves needs to be done after the first hard frost. This will keep any diseases or pests away and clean up the rhizome for its next flush of growth in the spring. A light mulch of leaves placed in the winter and removed in the spring will keep the rhizome protected in the colder hardiness zones.

City Lights Bearded Iris Spacing

Bearded Iris have a very upright habit, but  not a very wide spread. These plants can be planted a bit closer than other perennials. A spacing of 12-16 inches will help Iris to support each other as they grow, while giving their rhizomes the room they need to spread. Bearded Iris are best divided every 2-3 years to encourage vigorous growth and blooming.