Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

White Crested Dwarf Iris

Iris cristata (EYE-ris kris-TAH-tuh AL-ba)

Family: Iridaceae Native Groundcover

This cultivar of Iris cristata is a dwarf crested low-growing, at 3-6 inches tall, native Iris which spreads quickly. Small white flowers with yellow-crested falls, rather than blue, are a bright addition to a dark, shady, naturalized area. Multiplying to a dense growth in conditions of rich, well-drained soil, it can create a woodland floor of color in early spring and a good groundcover through the summer. It can tolerate marshes and even shallow water, in partial to full shade. It can be planted from seed or rhizomes can be divided in the fall to propagate. Its narrow, yellowish-green leaves are shorter than standard Iris but retain the knife-edge shape. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: More information on Iris cristata .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 57 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover Optimal soil pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Aesculus pavia Clematis Iris cristata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb; Ground Cover; Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant; Poisonous; Wildflower
Life cycle
Bulb; Perennial
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Sheath
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Sword-like
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower shape
Irregular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Small white flowers of inner erect "standards" and 3 reflexed pendent "falls" marked with yellow crests
Bloom time
Spring
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Wildlife value
Attractive to bees and hummingbirds
Attracts
Bees; Hummingbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine

Uses (ethnobotany)

Naturalizing, woodlands, rock gardens, native gardens,

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Patio; Walkways
Design feature
Mass Planting
Garden tags
#groundcover #white flowers #poisonous #hummingbird friendly #naturalizes #deer resistant #pollinator plant #native garden #spring interest #dwarf #spring flowering bulbs #problem for dogs #problem for cats #problem for horses #partial shade tolerant #wet soils tolerant #perennial #woodland #wildflower #NC native #NC Native Pollinator Plant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Slugs and Snails Found on Flowers and Foliage; Narcissus Bulb Fly; Potato Aphid on Ornamental Plants
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Wet Soil
Particularly resistant to
Deer
Propagation
Root Cutting; Seed
Fire risk
low flammability
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds
Poison symptoms
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Nausea, salivation, vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, diarrhea, elevated temperature following ingestion; skin irritation upon contact with seeds, rootstock, or cell sap.
Toxic principle
Pentacylic terpenoids (zeorin, missourin and missouriensin), Irisin, iridin, or irisine
Contact dermatitis
Yes
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; contact dermatitis

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.