Plant Height: 18 inches
Flower Height: 3 feet
Spread: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4
Other Names: Iris domestica, Leopard Lily
Description:
A lovely addition that requires little maintenance; blooming throughout the summer and into fall, this selection produces fan-shaped foliage and tall stems with eye-catching orange and red flowers
Ornamental Features
Blackberry Lily features solitary orange trumpet-shaped flowers with scarlet overtones and red spots at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall. Its sword-like leaves remain green in color throughout the season. The black fruits are held in clusters from late summer to early fall.
Landscape Attributes
Blackberry Lily is an open herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
- Spreading
Blackberry Lily is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Blackberry Lily will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.
Blackberry Lily is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
