Iris reticulata 'Gordon' is a petite bulbous iris that brings early spring color to gardens in zones 5 through 9. This low-growing perennial reaches just 3 to 6 inches tall, making it a natural fit for rock gardens, borders, and containers where its striking purple flowers with golden crests and white markings can be admired up close. Native to western Asia, these fragrant blooms emerge in March through April, often flowering alongside snowdrops and crocuses, and the delicate 2.5-inch flowers are excellent for cutting despite the plant's diminutive stature.
Partial Sun
Moderate
5-9
6in H x 3in W
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Moderate
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Purple flowers marked with gold crests and white streaks emerge on naked stems in earliest spring, filling the air with fragrance despite the plant's diminutive 3 to 6-inch stature. The reticulated bulbs, with their distinctive netted coverings, are a botanical oddity that hints at the genus's ancient origins. This iris thrives in full sun to partial shade and tolerates drought once established, yet it also handles wet soils and black walnut toxicity, making it adaptable to many garden situations. Deer ignore it entirely, and it requires minimal fussing once the bulbs are planted in well-draining soil.
Iris reticulata 'Gordon' is grown primarily for early spring color in rock gardens, alpine troughs, and the front of borders where its low stature won't be overshadowed. The fragrant flowers are valued as cut flowers despite their small size, lending themselves to delicate arrangements or forcing indoors. Gardeners also naturalize these bulbs in lawns and meadows, and they perform reliably in rain gardens and water-adjacent plantings thanks to their tolerance of wet soil during the growing season.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant bulbs in fall, 3 to 4 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart in well-drained soil. They will bloom the following spring without requiring indoor starting.
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“Iris reticulata belongs to the reticulated iris group, named for the netted or reticulate coverings on their bulbs, a feature unique among iris species. All reticulated irises are native to western Asia, hailing from Turkey, the Caucasus, Lebanon, northern Iraq, and Iran, where they evolved in rocky alpine and subalpine habitats. The species and its cultivars, including 'Gordon', were brought into European cultivation and eventually became staples of spring bulb gardens in North America. These small irises share space in the spring garden with fellow early bloomers, arriving at nearly the same time as snowdrops and glory-of-the-snow, a testament to their ancient adaptation to harsh climates.”