There are many types of irises.

The first difference is that some are Bulbs and some are Rhizomes.

Bulbs usually go dormant( lose their leaves) for part of the year and the piece that lives in the ground is round and is made up of layers, like an onion.

Rhizomes are thick pieces of root, with the leaves coming off one end of it. Most iris in this group are evergreen but some go dormant, usually in late summer/autumn.

BULB IRIS

The most common bulb irises are Dutch Iris but there are a number of other types

 

RHIZOME IRISES

These are separated into three main groups

Beardless, Bearded and Crested. These differences refer to the way the plants attract bees.

With Beardless Irises there is usually a flash of colour, mostly yellow, at the top of the lower petals (falls) This is called a signal

Click here for more information on BEARDLESS IRIS

Bearded Iris have a fuzzy caterpillar like area at the top of the falls . This may be one of many colours, eg blue, red, yellow etc. Occasionally this beard extends out into a pointed part called a horn.

Click here for more information on BEARDED IRIS

 

Crested Iris form a much smaller group, but they have a small raised area called a crest instead of a signal or a beard.

Click here for more information on Crested Iris