How to Plant Bearded Iris Flower Bulbs
Fast Facts
- Planting season
- Fall
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water needs
- Low
- Planting depth
- In a shallow hole with fleshy roots partially exposed
- Spacing
- 12 to 24 inches
- Mature height
- Varies by variety
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 10
- Bloom season
- Varies by variety
Ranges cover every variety in this group. Check the product page for the exact figures.
About Bearded Iris Flower Bulbs
Bearded Iris Flower Bulbs grow in full sun positions. The figures below are the ones on the packets in this group; each product page carries the exact numbers for that variety.
When to plant
Plant in fall. Bulbs go in while the soil is still workable, and want to be in the ground long enough to settle before it freezes. Hardy in zones 3 to 10 — your local frost dates decide the exact week.
Where to plant
Choose a site in full sun. Water needs are low once the plants are established. Drainage matters more than anything else: bulbs sitting in wet winter soil rot. Allow 12 to 24 inches between plants so air can move between them.
How to plant
Set the bulb in a shallow hole with fleshy roots partially exposed deep, pointed end up, spaced 12 to 24 inches apart. Water gently to settle the soil, then keep the surface evenly moist until seedlings or shoots appear.
How to care
Keep watering low, at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves. In zones 3 to 10 these come back each year: let the foliage die down naturally after flowering, since that is what feeds next season's growth.











