What Kind of Irises Are Purple & Yellow?

Iris Anatomy

• Especially when searching for a specific iris color combination, it is useful to know how scientists label iris flower parts. On a bearded iris (Iris germanica), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, the cluster of vertical petals at the center of the flower is called the standard. Petals curving outward are the falls. The fuzzy cluster of hairs at the throat of each fall is the beard. Creating variety in standards, falls and beards absorbs many iris breeders; varietal names often include breeder name and date. On a beardless iris, such as a Siberian (Iris siberica), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9, a Japanese (Iris ensata) or a Louisiana iris (Iris fulva and others), both hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9, center petals are often just called petals, while outward-curving ones are sepals. In place of a beard, a flat colored patch called a signal may help draw pollinators to the flower.

Yellow Bearded Iris

• Bearded irises, ranging in height from 8 inches to more than 3 feet, grow in average to rich well-drained soil, in partial to full sun, and bloom in late spring. Colors range from white through light-to-dark yellow, pink, wine, violet, blue, orange, red and a variety of brownish tones. "Sherwin Wright" (Iris germanica "Sherwin Wright") and "Southland" (Iris germanica "Southland") are old yellow favorites. Newer lemon-yellow "Harvest of Memories" (Iris germanica "Harvest of Memories") is fragrant. "Pure as Gold" (Iris germanica "Pure as Gold"), like "Southland," is a rebloomer.

Purple Bearded Iris

• Many bearded varieties are solid purple, with shades ranging from wine to royal to nearly black. Purple irises have attracted the imaginations of artists such as Vincent Van Gogh to Claude-Oscar Monet as well as generations of gardeners. Red-violet "Atroviolacea" (Iris germanica "Atroviolacea") and reblooming wine-purple "Eleanor Roosevelt" (Iris germanica "Eleanor Roosevelt") remain popular classics. "Diabolique" (Iris germanica "Diabolique") carries on the deep intense purple standard, while all parts of "Night Ruler" (Iris germanica "Night Ruler"), including the beards, are purple to purple-black.

Bicolored Bearded Irises

• Bearded irises are unique among iris species in the number of bicolored varieties. Purple-yellow irises customarily have yellow standards and purple falls. Classic "Loreley" (Iris germanica "Loreley") follows this pattern. "Jurassic Park" (Iris germanica "Jurassic Park") and reblooming "Blatant" (Iris germanica "Blatant") are newer purple-yellow performers.

Siberian Irises

• The narrow, grasslike foliage of Siberian irises is most likely to support blooms of a solid color or a light-dark combination of the same color. "Butter Yellow" has white standards and yellow falls, while "Dreaming Yellow" has creamy-standards and pale yellow falls. Intense deep-purple "Caesar's Brother," light-and-dark violet "Ruffled Velvet" and violet-blue "Spring's Brook" are popular choices, and new breeds are becoming increasingly available. Siberian irises prefer moist, well-drained soil with partial or full sun.

Japanese Irises

• The intricate forms of Japanese irises maximize the impact of a narrow blue-purple-white color spectrum. Yellow appears in large signal patches at the throats of petals. Reblooming "Taffeta and Velvet" (Iris ensata "Taffeta and Velvet") is solid purple, and "Exuberant Chanty" (Iris ensata "Exuberant Chanty") is a dark blue-violet. The petals of "Sunrise Ridge" and "Blushing Snowmaiden" are white-streaked purple and purple-streaked white, respectively. Japanese irises grow best in slightly acid soil.

Louisiana Irises

• An interrelated grouping of five American native species (Iris fulva, brevicaulis, giganticaerulea, hexagona and nelsonii), Louisiana irises are distinguished by their preference for constantly moist-to-wet soil, growing well on the edge of stream beds or ponds. Louisiana hybrids come in a huge spectrum of colors, increased by breeder enthusiasm. Purple "Word of Warning" (Iris Louisiana Group "Word of Warning") contains violet-rose, two shades of red-purple and lilac. Yellow "Frogmore" (Iris Louisiana Group "Frogmore") includes shades of buff yellow, gold, amber and yellow-orange with a wine wash and veining. New, complex color combinations appear in large numbers yearly, according to the Society for Louisiana Irises registrations.