- The Douglas iris develops from a rhizome, an underground stem that spreads horizontally. Rhizomes often produce buds from which new plants will sprout. The plant has a clumplike form and reaches about 12 to 18 inches high and 12 to 24 inches wide at maturity. The stems, which have an erect growth habit, often produce branches, with each branch, or stalk, capable of bearing two or three blooms.
- Douglas iris leaves, typically evergreen, grow about 1 to 2 feet long, 1/4 to 1 inch wide and have a sword shape. The leaf veins run parallel to each other. The leaves, shiny green on the top and dull green on the underside, grow straight out of the rhizome and can equal or surpass the height of the stems. They also have a leathery texture. The leaf base displays a reddish color.
- The flowers of the Douglas iris emerge from bracts, or modified leaves, at the tip of the stalks. In the wild, the flowers typically are a light-blue to purple, although cultivated hybrids might produce cream colored, yellow or red blooms. The plant usually blossoms in late winter to midspring. The blooms grow about 3/4 to 1 inch long and have three petals and three sepals. The flowers usually have both male and female parts in the same blossom.
- The seeds come in capsule form at the end of the flower stalks after the flower withers and falls away. The capsule, green at first, turns brown as it matures. When the capsule fully matures, an opening in the top allows the seeds to quickly disperse. One capsule holds about 20 to 80 seeds. The Douglas iris propagates easily from seed, leading to its classification as a weed in some areas. You can also reproduce the plant by dividing the rhizome and planting the divisions.
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