Do iris make good cut flowers?
Irises are an excellent choice for cut flowers. They are a beautiful and fragrant with a uniquely shaped blossom and a highly original look.
Iris Make Great Cut Flowers
For longer lasting flowers cut your Iris early in the day with the buds just opening. Place them in a bucket of tepid water and recut the stem end underwater at an angle one inch up. Display your Iris in a cool niche away from direct sun and drafts.
Whilst we love the look of our iris in the garden, they make spectacular cut flowers in a vase inside and keep for up to 2 weeks. Here a few handy tips to ensure you get the most out of your indoor iris displays.
Floral Arranging with Iris: Part 1 of 3 - YouTube
Bearded Iris are also an incredible cut flower. They have great staying power in a vase, and if you pick a stem with multiple blooms, the tight buds will slowly open as the older blooms begin to fade and shrivel.
Vase Life: 3 to 7 days. Description: Distinctively shaped blossom of three inner petals and three outer petals with three styles between them opening widely from a spear shaped bud and sword like foliage.
Most Iris will indeed bloom after they are cut and you will have greater success if you follow the instructions below: Cut iris stalks when flower buds show colour but are not yet open. Cuts should be made where the stem starts to turn green below the buds. Cuttings should be taken early in the morning.
An iris flower effortlessly contrasts brilliant blooms, like yellow roses, white lilies and red tulips. This diverse flower complements the most stunning pink stargazer lily or perfectly pink rose.
A new Iris offered to the public for the first time is called a New Introduction. New introductions are priced at $50.00 or more the first year. In successive years, there are more plants available so the price goes down.
Over competition from other plants and weeds, which shade the iris bed, and insufficient water are other causes for why irises won't bloom. Irises are extremely drought tolerant but in the absence of any water, they will respond by refusing to bloom. Another commonplace reason is a late freeze.
How do you preserve iris?
- Dry the roots thoroughly and remove excess soil.
- Dust them with an anti-fungal powder.
- Wrap each bulb in newspaper and store in a box in a cool dark place.
- Check them regularly for any signs of damage.
The majority of varieties bloom only once in the late spring, and that's it for the season. Like peonies, even if you deadhead irises, they won't flower again until the next year.

Because buds on the same stem tend to open in succession, the flowers can last one week or longer in water, though the design of the bouquet will shift as the first blooms wither and new ones open.
How to get Iris to open easily - YouTube
- When you get home, stand the wrapped flowers in water so they can get a good drink while you're getting the vase ready.
- Fill a vase with water and allow it to come to room temperature. ...
- Add a packet of flower food to extend bloom life.
For all three varieties the blooms only last a day but come on in succession to add color to late winter. The first variety, Neomarica gracilis is delightfully fragrant and has deep green Iris-like leaves.
Irises will bloom best in full sun, meaning at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. They can tolerate as little as half a day of sun, but it's not ideal. Without enough light, they won't bloom well. Bearded irises must not be shaded out by other plants; many do best in a special bed on their own.
Whereas many gardeners do little with once-blooming irises other than weed the bed periodically and divide them every few to several years, rebloomers could use a little extra help. Feed after the first bloom and again in summer, using a low-nitrogen fertilizer.