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Products > Iris pallida 'Variegata'
 
Iris pallida 'Variegata' - Zebra Iris

Note: This plant is no longer in stock. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  
Image of Iris pallida 'Variegata'
 
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Bulb/Tuber/Rhizome etc.
Family: Iridaceae (Irises)
Origin: Italy (Europe)
Yellow/Chartreuse Foliage: Yes
Variegated Foliage: Yes
Flower Color: Light Lavender
Bloomtime: Spring/Summer
Fragrant Flowers: Yes
Synonyms: [Iris pallida 'Aureo-Vaiegata']
Height: 1-3 feet
Width: 1-2 feet
Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade
Deer Tolerant: Yes
Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: < 0 °F
Iris pallida 'Variegata' (Zebra Iris) - This evergreen Iris displays yellowish-white variegation on the broad gray-green leaves that reach 18 to 30 inches tall. The pale lavender-blue flowers with yellow beards appear in the late spring and early summer and have a delicious grape soda fragrance.

This plant does best in full coastal sun or light shade with moist soil and is hardy to below 0 degrees F - reports are that it can grow in USDA Zone 3a - down to about -40°F. Remove older leaves as new leave emerge in spring to tidy it up and divide clumps every 3 to 4 years or as needed. A very attractive plant for the perennial garden, along the border of in containers and it does not seem to be attractive to deer or rabbits.

Iris pallida is one of the so called Dalmation Irises because it is native to the Velebit Mountains of Dalmatia, a province of Croatia and is also found in the southern Alps and the Istrian Peninsula in the Crimea. The specific epithet comes from the pale flower color which is pallid compared to the darker Iris germanica. This selection has been in cultivation since 1901 and has proved itself to be a reliable garden plant. It is sometimes grown under the invalid name of Iris pallida 'Aureo-Vaiegata'. We grew and sold this plant from 1995 until 2013 and continue to grow the white variegated form called Iris pallida 'Argentea Variegata'

The information displayed on this page about Iris pallida 'Variegata' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.

 
We closed for regular business at the end of 2025 in order for the property to be developed for affordable housing.
Our gates remain closed but we will open them by appointment to interested parties through August 21st to liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment.
The plants remaining in the field are listed on our
Live Inventory Page.
 
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