So gorgeous, the Yellow African Iris even has an innocent quality about it. Perhaps it’s the six petals that create an open, “wide-eyed” look. About 2.3 inches in diameter, with their petals fluttering in the wind, they remind us of a butterfly—thus the name. They flower from late spring to late summer, giving your garden a sunny look when several dozens are massed as a focal point. Against a pale, blue house—divine! An interesting aside, Joffe (2001) mentions that “the roots of this flower were traditionally used as a charm to protect and strengthen the wearer.”
With its origins in the Bathurst region of the Eastern Cape in South Africa, it makes the transition to Orlando with ease, loving the hot, overhead sun and light rains. Its evergreen expansion property makes it handy as a long lasting groundcover. The blooms are short-lived and not useful as cut flowers. However, they continue to restock the plants, at a good pace, all summer long.
