Dwarf Crested Iris can be an excellent groundcover that produces an exquisite violet carpet of blooms in the spring!!!! It attracts a wide variety of pollinators including hummingbirds!!!
Iris cristata (Dwarf Crested Iris) is native from the Ohio River valley into the southeastern states with several disjunct populations in the central Mississippi river valley in west-central Illinois and eastern Iowa and a population in northeastern Ohio.
This low-growing, rapidly spreading plant; grows to 6-8 tall. Pale blue, lilac or lavender, with gold crests on the falls borne on very short stems, often appearing nearly stemless. Narrow, sword-shaped, yellowish-green to medium green leaves (to 6 long) arise from a network of branching rhizomes. Its preferred growing conditions are partial shade with moist, but not wet soil conditions. Wet soil conditions are not optimal and can cause root rot.
Origin greater midwest
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Purchase From Natural Communities Native Plants?
What Native Plants Should I Buy?
- Shipping, Local Pick-up, & Event Pick-up
- Plant Sizes
Choices to Receive Your Plants & Trees
- FREE LOCAL PICK UP From Our Location on Rt. 25 in Batavia, IL
- FREE EVENT PICK UP for Pre-Order Events Only, Must Select Event Pick Up for "shipping" at Check Out, and Be At The Event to Recieve Your Plants (See Events Page)
- Shipping is $19.99 for plants (Zone 1 & Zone 2)
- Shipping is $29.99 for up to two #3 or #5 size container shrubs and trees (Zone 1 only)
- Shipping to Zone 2 for #3 & #5 container size shrubs and trees are custom rates, email us
- Shipping over two #3 & #5 container shrubs and trees are custom rates, email us
- Local Pick Up only for #7 size container or larger
Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready
We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.
- Spring Plant Fulfilment - The spring plant order placement window is typically open all winter through mid-June. We typically ship or make the plants available for pick up when all species in your order are ready. Normally this occurs in late May or even into June as plants become mature, but is different from year to year. However, certain plants may not be available until late June or July (i.e. certain milkweeds) because they need to time to be grown to maturity. Each year is different so we will inform you of any plants needing additional time. These later plants will be shipped out separately as they become available.
- Fall Plant Fulfillment - The fall plant order placement window is typically mid-June through mid-September. We typically ship or make plants available for pick up in late September or early October. Certain plants may be dormant or may be starting to go dormant. These plants are perfectly fine and are going through a natural process. All plants will need to be planted immediately to be given time to root into the natural soil. Plants that are not available will be refunded or an available equivalently priced substitute can be offered.
- If an order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the next fulfillment window has once again started or once the plants become available. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the hot summer or cold winter months.
- If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready. In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments
- Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability. We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish. If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date. If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
- Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
- Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can loose during shipping, resulting in heather plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Smaller Plant Shipments
Smaller plant shipments (12 or fewer plants) will look similar to the packaging below.
Larger Plant Shipments
- Larger plant shipments (typically 13 or more plants) will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
- Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
- Water your plants
- Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
- If you can not install your plants immediately
- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Plants Come In Multiple Sizes, Why?
Some plants need to mature more prior to planting so they require larger cell sizes. Other times we provide a multiple range of sizes for consumer selection. The 50, 38, and 32 cell sizes are typically sold only wholesale and are called "Plugs" because they can easily be plugged into the ground. We have decided to sell those to consumers to provide value and so that native landscaping can be affordable. Many of the larger sizes plant pots such as pint, quart, and #1 pots are necessary for slower developing plants, many times woodland plants or so that customers have immediate gratification from their plantings. Shrubs and trees are many times sold in #1, 2, 3, 5, & 7 pots & #15 grow bags which are much larger and necessary for the woody material to develop.
Plug Sizes (the 50, 38, and 32 plug sizes)*- "50 cell" each plug is 2” x 5"
- "38 cell" each plug is 2.25” x 5”
- "32 cell" each plug is 2.63” x 3.5”
- Pint (1 pint - 4" wide & 3.5" deep)
- #1 pot (2.55 quarts)
- #1 pot (2.55 quarts)
- #3 pot (2.9 gallons)
- # 5 pot (4.2 gallons)
- #7 pot (7.74 gallons)
- #15 pot or grow bag
*all container sizes are approximatations and may not be the exact volume or dimentions.