Purring Tiger is a compact Siberian iris with dusty lavender upright petals over golden yellow falls lined with purple veins that match the center of the flower. It blooms mid-season in early summer.
It stands about 1½ feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide, a nice size for the front of a border or smaller spaces. The narrow foliage stays tidy after bloom, and it is resistant to deer and rabbits.
What it looks like
Flowers with dusty lavender upright standards over golden yellow falls, the falls lined with purple veins that deepen toward the center of the bloom. Flowers are held on slender, upright stems just above narrow, grass-like green leaves. The plant forms a compact, upright clump about 18 to 20 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. At peak the lavender and gold blooms give the clump a warm, two-tone crown.
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: Dusty lavender standards over purple-veined golden yellow falls
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Foliage: Green
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Growth habit: Compact, upright clump
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Mature size: 18–20 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.