African Iris White | Large Gallon Size Plants | Dietes Iridioides | Low Maintenance Drought Tolerant Grass

Exotic white flowers with yellow and purple-blue markings burst from stalks amid stiff, iris-like, evergreen foliage. Profuse bloomer; blooms last only one day but are quickly replaced. Fire resistant. Tap into the beauty of drought-tolerant African iris. A cousin to bearded iris, Siberian iris and the rest of the iris flower clan, African iris is a native of South Africa. Botanically it’s known as Dietes bicolor. In common parlance, African iris is also called fortnight lily, yellow fortnight lily and butterfly flag. The name fortnight lily refers to the plant’s habit of flowering from spring through fall. African iris produces a smattering of blooms in each clump of leaves roughly every two weeks. Each blossom lasts only one day, but because stems appear about every 14 days, the flower show is strong and steady. Butterfly flag is another name of African iris, which refers to the plant’s lovely blooms that float and hover above the leafy clumps like butterflies. The petals on African iris flowers are pale yellow with purple markings. Blooms are fragile and appear almost like a flattened iris blossom. Snip flower stems after blooms fade to prevent self-sowing. Thrives in fertile, well-drained soils, but highly adaptable. Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. For a neat appearance, remove old flower stalks. Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.