Dietes bicolor

RHS Plant Profile

yellow wild iris

RHS

Other common names

African iris, butterfly flag, fortnight lily, peacock flower, poublom, uintjie

Synonyms

Dietes compacta

Conservatory Greenhouse

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An evergreen, rhizomatous perennial, up to 90cm tall, with pale green, leathery, narrowly-sword-shaped leaves and iris-like flowers, pale to dark yellow with three dark brown blotches, produced in spring and summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0-0.1 metre

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0-0.1 metre
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H3

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Iridaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: Dietes are rhizomatous evergreen perennials forming loose clumps of leathery, linear or sword-shaped leaves, with erect stems bearing a succession of short-lived, iris-like flowers with 3 large outer segments and 3 small inner ones, in spring and summer
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a cool, frost-free greenhouse in full light with good ventilation. Use a peat-free, loam-based potting compost, keeping just moist when dormant

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at at 15°C in autumn or spring, or by dividing the rhizomes after flowering, though they many be difficult to establish

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free