BUTTERFLY IRIS

Sun/part shade; evergreen with graceful, swordlike foliage and short-lived white, purple and yellow blossoms said to resemble butterflies. Like bicolor iris, crinum and a few other South African plants, butterfly iris is both lush and hardy and rarely requires any grooming (it can be cut back freely as needed.) Butterfly iris grows large enough to hide AC condensers and it’s often used for that purpose, since it prefers morning sun and tolerates afternoon shade.The leaves are wider than the leaves of the similar bicolor iris. Both species are used for massing in commercial landscapes too dry or too sunny for lilyturf and liriope.

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