Dietes iridioides growing herbaceous geophyte of the genus Dietes also known as Butterfly iris, fortnight lily or African iris, Dietes iridioides perennial evergreen used as ornamental plant for the flowers, it’s drought tolerant plant and attract pollinators also can be used for cut flowers, can grow in tropics, mediterranean, desert, subtropics, temperate climate and growing in hardiness zone 8b+ and with the right overwinter care in hardiness zone 8a.

Leaves color green and narrow like sward shape leaves grow in groups linked together.

Dietes iridioides flower

Flowers color: light purple almost white, the flower has 6 petals in the outer circle, 3 of the petals with yellow stipe in the base, 3 petals in the inner circle in the color purple.

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How to grow Dietes iridioides growing and care:

Well drained soil, prefer rich soil with organic material, better to fertilize before the blooming season but not must, if there is organic material no need of fertilize, when the plant young (in case of seeds or late planting) better to protect it in the winter in hardiness zone 8-10a

How to care:
Fertilizer once a year, prune once a year, reduce old plants

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seeds / Vegetative Reproduction

Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction?
No, it’s easy to start from seeds

Propagation by daughter plants:
Dividing plants in the spring, water the soil before and try gently to take without the to cut the roots

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Aggressive

Planting season:
Spring in hardiness zone 8, spring to summer in hardiness zone 9-10a, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10b-11, all year in hardiness zone 12+

How to plant:
Planting

Pests and diseases:
Leaf miner, spider mites

Pruning season:
All year, for reducing that amount of plant better to cut in the winter and better to pull the plant with the roots

How to prune:
Pruning dead leaves and dead bloom stems, better not to cut leaves and bloom stems until dry because it has effect on the blooming

Size of the plant:
0.5-1 m, 20-40 inches (1.5-3 feet)

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Medium growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water / Small amount of water, possible to let it without water for a long period, but the plant prefer regular water especially in the blooming season but with good drainage

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun, can grow in less than full sun but then it will have less flowers

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a pot, planter, flowerpot or containers:
Yes, when growing in containers need to choose container that 50-100% bigger than the roots ball, minimum 10L (2.6 gallon) better bigger at least 20L (5.2 gallons) need pot will be wide and shallow the roots not too much deep, after few years drainage of the soil not function the same so need to change it to new soil, when keep the plants in small pot need to reduce the amount of plants that grow in the pot and also cut some of the roots when switch soil.

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Spring, summer, autumn

General information about the flower
Light purple almost white flowers, the flower has 6 petals in the outer circle 3 of the petals with yellow stipe in the base, 3 petals in the inner circle in the color purple

Scientific name:

Dietes iridioides

Categories

Blooming Seasons
  • Spring flowers
  • Summer flowers
Flower colors
  • Purple flower
  • White flower
Climate
  • Desert Climate
  • Mediterranean Climate
  • Subtropics Climate
  • Temperate Climate
  • Tropics Climate
Ornamental parts
  • Ornamental flower
  • Ornamental leaves
  • Ornamental plant
Plant growing speed
  • Average growing plants
  • Fast growing plants
Plant life-form
  • Evergreen
  • Geophyte
  • Herbaceous
  • Perennial plant
Plant Uses
  • Drought tolerant plants
  • Floristry
  • Ornamental plants
Planting Season
  • Autumn Planting
  • Spring Planting
  • Summer planting
Plants sun exposure
  • Full sun Plants
Watering plants
  • Big amount of water
  • Regularly water
  • Small amounts of water
Hardiness zone
  • Hardiness zone 10
  • Hardiness zone 11
  • Hardiness zone 12
  • Hardiness zone 13
  • Hardiness zone 8
  • Hardiness zone 9