Plant Description

Red Louisiana Iris is stunning with vermillion-red blooms on this spectacular iris! The flowers are up to 6 inches long with bright, yellow-gold signals. Red Louisiana Iris blooms early or late spring, depending on zone. Attractive green, sword-like foliage stays nice all summer long. A showstopper in your water garden in the spring! Great in flower beds or at the edge of the pond! One of the showiest iris around! Red Louisiana Iris is only one of the many pond plants for sale at PondMegastore!

Height Mature plants are up to 36 inches tall

Width 12 - 18 inches

Sunlight Requirements Full Sun to part shade (In extreme heat in the south and in Texas, part shade is important)

Moisture Needs Must be planted in moist, boggy soil or shallow water

Bloom Time Blooms in early or late spring, depending on zone, with bright-red, 6 inch blooms, foliage stays nice until frost.

Fertilize When planting Louisiana Iris in a terrestrial garden, add rich organic compost to the soil and plant your Louisiana Iris shallowly, pointed end up, roots down. When planting in containers in the pond, skip the composted material and use heavy loam soil and fertilizer tabs instead. Fertilize your Red Louisiana Iris from May until September.

Zone Hardy in zones 6 - 12

Divide Divide every 2 - 3 years as needed, spreads by rhizome division. Divide your iris in late summer or early fall.

Planting Time Plant in August - October (May be planted in the spring, but that will affect that years bloom) May be planted anytime in Florida

Soil For terrestrial or bog gardens, Louisiana Iris grows well in almost any soil, but does best in sand/loam mix with additional rich organic compost added to the soil. Place the rhizome with 1/2 the rhizome in the soil, roots down, pointed side up.

In the Pond Use heavy loam soil in at least a 10 inch container, or larger, with two or three inches of water above the soil. Fertilize using Waterlily World Fertilizer Tabs throughout the growing/blooming season. (Fabric planters work well with all Louisiana Iris when planted in the pond, as Fabric Planters allow oxygen at the roots).

What Is Loam Soil?

Loam soil is a good mixture of Topsoil and Sand

If you are lucky enough to have good topsoil in your backyard, by all means, use your topsoil. All you will have to do is add fertilizer. If you are not so lucky--and your backyard is sand or heavy red or yellow clay, you can mix up a batch of loam soil.

You can create your own loam soil by mixing these two ingredients together

2/3 Inorganic Topsoil (Little or no organic material added)
1/3 Pool Filter Sand

Mix together thoroughly with a little water. Your soil should clump when squeezed. If your soil is mixed properly, it will not muddy your pond water.

You can purchase inexpensive bags of inexpensive / poor Topsoil at Lowes or Home-Depot. Good soil clumps together as a ball in your hand with only a little moisture.

Don't buy brands like Scott's or Miracle-Gro, as they will contain too much organic matter that can foul your water. Buy an unbranded bag of topsoil instead.

You can purchase Pool Filter Sand at any store that sells pool supplies.

Loam soil is well suited for all aquatic plants (except oxygenators). Oxygenators rarely need to be planted, just anchored in the substrate or in a container filled with sand or 1/8 inch pea gravel.

Sand holds little water but does allow for aeration and drainage.

Some DO's and DON'TS regarding Aquatic Planting Soil

DO NOT use potting soils ( as they are too light and will float right out of the pot). Potting Soil has organic material that will rot and foul your water!

DO NOT add too much composted material (as it is too rich in organic matter and it will ferment underwater and destroy the ecology of your pond).

DO NOT use 100% calcined clay as there is no nutritional value in calcined clay.

DO NOT add rocks, stones or pebbles to the top of your planting container as this will inhibit the growth of your plants. Plants do not grow in rocks and stones in nature!

DO NOT purchase API Aquatic Planting Media or Microbe-lift Aquatic Planting Media as these products are NOT suitable for waterlilies, lotus or most other pond plants. They are suitable for submerged grasses ONLY!

Planting Directions

For your terrestrial garden, plant your Louisiana Iris rhizomes in moist, rich, slightly acidic, loamy soil that is well drained, in full sun to part shade. Does well with up to an inch of water per week. Plant iris rhizome with tips up, leaving the top portion above the soil line and the bottom half of the bulb below the soil. Water after planting and when soil is dry and make sure plant has 5+ hours of sunlight.

When placing your Louisiana Iris in the pond, use a container that is at least 10 inches wide. Use heavy loam soil and place the container in the pond with up to three inches of water above the top of the pot. Fertilize with Waterlily World Fertilizer Tabs from May until August.

Increase your blooms by adding aquatic plant tabs in the soil around your Louisiana iris throughout the growing season