Iris germanica

plant

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

Iris germanica, commonly known as the German iris, is a species of bearded iris native to central and southern Europe. It is characterized by its large flowers, which can range in color from purple to white. This species is a parent to many tall bearded horticultural irises developed through hybridization and selection.1

The genus Iris, to which I. germanica belongs, is part of the Iridaceae family and includes about 300 species of flowering plants. Irises are known for their diverse garden flowers and are popular in Japanese flower arrangement and the floral industry. Some species, like I. germanica, are rhizomatous, meaning they have thick underground stems, while others native to southwestern Europe produce bulbs. The flowers typically have three sepals, three petals, and three stigma branches.23

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

iris
Major species
variegata, purple-blue I. germanica, and perhaps other southern European species. They are hardy rhizomatous types with sturdy swordlike leaves and tall stems (to 90 cm [3 feet]) of three to many flowers. With the introduction in 1900 of taller, heavier, larger-flowered I. mesopotamica, even larger hybrids were…
Read More
variegata, purple-blue I. germanica, and perhaps other southern European species. They are hardy rhizomatous types with sturdy swordlike leaves and tall stems (to 90 cm [3 feet]) of three to many flowers. With the introduction in 1900 of taller, heavier, larger-flowered I. mesopotamica, even larger hybrids were…
Read More