Iris fulva on 3-22-09, #6-10.
Copper Iris
Iris fulva
EYE-ris FUL-vuh
Synonyms of Iris fulva (8) (Updated on 12-19-23 from Plants of the World Online): Iris cupraea Pursh, Iris ecristata Alexander, Iris fulva f. fulvaurea (Small) N.C.Hend., Iris fulvaurea Small, Iris rubescens Raf., Limniris fulva (Ker Gawl.) Rodion., Neubeckia fulva (Ker Gawl.) Alef., Phaeiris fulva (Ker Gawl.) M.B.Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev
Iris fulva Ker Gawl. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Iris. It was first documented by John Bellenden Ker Gawler in Botanical Magazine in 1812.
The genus, Iris Tourn ex L, was described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753. Mr. Linnaeus gave credit to Joseph Pitton de Tournefort for first naming and describing the genus.
As of 12-19-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 311 species in the Iris genus. It is a member of the plant family Iridaceae with 69 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.
Iris fulva on 5-16-16, #254-9.
When I moved to the mansion in Mississippi I noticed a patch of Iris growing in the backyard. It was in December 2008 when I first noticed them but they didn’t flower until March 2009. I had no idea what species they were until I started doing research for my first blog (The Mystical Mansion and Garden in 2009, which has been deleted).
Iris fulva on 4-20-17, #320-9.
The leaves are typical for most Iris that have rhizomes in that they have long, narrow blade-like leaves. A man named Dykes noticed when held up to the light the leaves have black dots, similar to leaves of water Irises. Another interesting thing I noticed is that some of the leaves have this weird zig-zag appearance, like folding a piece of paper then opening it up a little.
Iris fulva on 5-7-17, #327-18.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
FAMILY: Iridaceae.
NATIVE: Central and the southern United States.
ZONES: USDA zones 5-9.
HEIGHT: 24-36”.
LIGHT: Full sun to part shade.
WATER: Medium to wet. Can grow in up to 6” of standing water.
FLOWERS: Coppery-red flowers May-June.
Even though there are so many beautiful Iris, the Iris fulva is one of my favorites. Maybe because they are so neat!
They aren’t just a southern species! Even though they may be a species of Louisiana Iris, as some say, the Plants Database map from the USDA show they are found in limited areas in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, and Ohio.
Iris fulva on 5-14-17, #330-4. A few of the stems produce up to six flowers!
Apparently, not all their flowers are copper-red. Sometimes yellow or bi-colored flowers show up.
The Iris fulva didn’t do well during the summer of 2018. Hopefully, 2019 will be better.
Iris fulva on 4-23-19, #562-21.
The Iris fulva seem to be somewhat “iffy” here. Maybe they need more sun… They continue to come up every spring but sometimes they don’t flower. Hmmm… Maybe they will do better in 2021 and maybe I will put a few in other areas. I think they would do better along the north side of the house.
I will continue adding more photos and information on their progress as time goes by.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant. If you notice I made an error, please let me know.
The Belmont Rooster 