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Butterfly Iris

Moraea (mor-EYE-ah)

Family: Iridaceae Non-native Herbaceous

The genus Moraea is in the iris family (Iridaceae). There are more than 200 species. Most are from Africa, but some are found in southern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and central Asia. Some Moraea species native to South Africa are cold hardy enough for gardens in the Southeastern US. Plant 5 or 6 corms per 6-inch pot to a depth of 4 inches. Most species are drought-tolerant once established. The following are federally listed noxious weeds in the USA and should not be planted : Cape tulip ( Moraea collina ), One leaf Cape tulip ( Moraea flaccida ), Two leaf Cape tulip ( Moraea miniata ), Apricot Cape tulip ( Moraea ochroleuca ) and Yellow Cape tulip ( Moraea pallida ). Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Minor pest problems, such as aphids and narcissus fly.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 38 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous
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 Allium Allium giganteum Eucomis bicolor

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Bulb; Herbaceous Perennial
Life cycle
Annual; Bulb; Perennial
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Slender, grassy leaves.
Flower color
Blue; Gold/Yellow; Orange; Pink; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Simple & elegant iris-like flowers with nectar guides in center
Bloom time
Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical & South Africa, Mediterranean to Western Himalaya
Attracts
Butterflies
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Accent; Small groups
Garden tags
#showy flowers #drought tolerant #summer bulbs #bulb #full sun tolerant #container plant #perennial #Noxious Weed (Federal list) #weedy
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Narcissus Bulb Fly; Potato Aphid on Ornamental Plants
Resistant to
Drought
Propagation
Division

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.