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Companion Plants for Iris Plants
Companion Plants for Iris Plants. Whether you are growing delicate miniature iris, spring-blooming Dutch iris or large bearded iris, the addition of companion plants adds drama to the garden. Choose plants with culture and maintenance requirements similar to iris for your landscape design. Combine plants with contrasting foliage and textures in...
Whether you are growing delicate miniature iris, spring-blooming Dutch iris or large bearded iris, the addition of companion plants adds drama to the garden. Choose plants with culture and maintenance requirements similar to iris for your landscape design. Combine plants with contrasting foliage and textures in borders and flower beds to feature iris plants' form and flowers.
Forsythia
Forsythia's bright yellow flowers in the early spring provide a dramatic backdrop for the early-blooming dwarf iris. The rich blue-colored petals of Iris reticulata, Harmony, emerge in mid-Spring—the same time that forsythia is in full bloom—creating an attractive palette of complementary colors in the garden. Later blooming iris varieties are highlighted by the light green shades of forsythia plants after their flowers have dropped. The softer, rounded forms of forsythia provide visual contrast to the spiked leaves of iris plants. Both forsythia and bearded iris are adaptable to poor soils, making them useful companion plants in problem areas of the garden.
Vinca Minor
Vinca minor, also known as Creeping Myrtle, is a low-growing evergreen ground cover with with shiny leaves. Planted around the base of iris, it provides a carpet of deep green in areas that would otherwise be bare before iris plants mature and after they have bloomed and been cut back. Vinca minor and iris are well-suited to companion planting in areas where the soil is kept moist, but not soggy, and in areas with partial shade.
Lamb's Ear
Lamb's ear, also known by its scientific name Stachys byzantina, have grey-green leaves with a soft, wooly texture. The contrast between Lamb's ear foliage and the spear-shaped, long iris leaves create an appealing focal point in your landscape. Lamb's ear grows up to 12 inches high by the end of summer, effectively hiding the base of iris plants that are cut back after blooming. Position iris and Lamb's ear as companion plants in areas that receive full sun to light shade.
Purple Coneflower
A sturdy perennial, purple coneflower blooms in the summer, corresponding with the flowering time of later-blooming bearded iris. A member of the Echinacea family, purple coneflowers have long stems and are suited for cut flower bouquets with long-stemmed iris. Both iris and coneflower plants are adaptable to rocky soil and hot summer days, provided there is good soil drainage. The spikes of early-blooming iris may be folded or cut back and hidden under Echinacea's bold foliage as the season progresses.
