Plants of the UNF Campus
Dietes vegetata - Blue African iris
Family Iridaceae
Description:
The genus Dietes
has an odd distribution with five species in Africa and one on remote Lord Howe
Island near Australia.
This species is a iris-like herbaceous plant native to southern Africa. The white African iris has flowers that are white
with blue centers. It is a drought-tolerant plant from southern Africa. Plants grow into tight clumps of grass-like
leaves to about two feet tall. Foliage is evergreen. Flowers appear in early
spring.
Location:
See plants on the west side of the library and in front of the post office in building 6.
Size:
Herbaceous plant with leaves about twenty-four inches tall.
Care Instructions:
Light: full sun to partial shade
Water: very drought tolerant when established
Soil: well-drained, adaptable to a wide range of soils
Jacksonville
must be near the northern limit for this plant. Established plants in exposed
locations were killed by temperatures in the high teens F. North of the St. Johns River, the yellow African iris (Dietes bicolor) is more reliable.
Dietes vegetata
Blue African iris
Iridaceae
The genus Dietes
has an odd distribution with five species in Africa and one on remote Lord Howe
Island near Australia.
This species is a iris-like herbaceous plant native to southern Africa. The white African iris has flowers that are white
with blue centers. It is a drought-tolerant plant from southern Africa. Plants grow into tight clumps of grass-like
leaves to about two feet tall. Foliage is evergreen. Flowers appear in early
spring.
Dietes_vegetata.jpg
See plants on the west side of the library and in front of the post office in building 6.
Herbaceous plant with leaves about twenty-four inches tall.
full sun to partial shade
very drought tolerant when established
well-drained, adaptable to a wide range of soils
Jacksonville
must be near the northern limit for this plant. Established plants in exposed
locations were killed by temperatures in the high teens F. North of the St. Johns River, the yellow African iris (Dietes bicolor) is more reliable.