Butter and Sugar is a well-known Siberian iris with creamy white upright petals over butter-yellow falls, both finely veined in greenish yellow. The flowers have excellent form, and plants sometimes rebloom later in the season.
It grows about 28 inches tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide, with slender, grassy foliage. Siberian irises are disease resistant and tolerate black walnut. Plant it in sun or part shade in a border, rain garden or near water, and cut a few stems for bouquets.
What it looks like
Flowers with creamy white upright standards and butter-yellow falls, both finely veined with greenish yellow. The blooms are crisp and well formed, held on slender, upright stems above the foliage. Leaves are narrow, grass-like and mid-green, forming an upright, vase-shaped clump about 28 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. Several flowers open together at the top of the clump. At peak the white-and-yellow blooms stand out brightly against the slender green leaves.
Growing it with lavender
Siberian iris prefers steadier moisture than lavender, so it fits best in a moister border or rain garden nearby, where its early-summer blooms can open just before the lavender begins.
Care
Grow in full sun to part shade in average to rich soil and keep it well watered through the season, especially in spring and early summer. Hardy in zones 3-9. Cut back the foliage in late fall or early spring, and divide crowded clumps in late summer; Siberian iris is not bothered by black walnut.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Iris sibirica
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Flower color: Creamy white standards over butter-yellow falls
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Foliage: Mid-green
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Growth habit: Upright, vase-shaped clump
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Mature size: 28 in tall × 18–24 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Early-June
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Peak bloom: Mid-June
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Good
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.
Lavender companion · grow guide
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