How to Prune an African Iris Fortnight Lily. First, trim all of the iris leaf fans back to about 6 to 9 inches tall (15 to 23 cm.). Plants in the full sun or in sandy soil grow best with regular and frequent irrigation. Light Needs. Genus Iris may be rhizomatous or bulbous perennials, with narrow leaves and erect stems bearing flowers with 3 large spreading or pendent fall petals, alternating with 3 erect, often smaller, standard petals, in late winter, spring or early summer It has dark green foliage and produces white, yellow and pink tall-stemmed flowers. Plant from containers at any time of year, setting plants 23 feet apart. The hardy fortnight lily (Dietes iridioide) is a perennial flower that originates from Africa. If possible, wait to do this until after the first hard frosts. Help Your Landscape Fend Off a Freeze. Sku #6160. Dietes plant information says this plant is commonly called African iris or Butterfly iris. Trim the leaves back to 8 inches before transplanting iris. Discard the mother; do not compost due to various iris pests and diseases that could survive in the rhizome. It has dark green, strappy foliage, which grows in fan-like rosettes. Once the foliage has withered in the fall, you can cut back the foliage to about six inches from the ground. Jul 31, 2016 - How to Prune a Fortnight Lily. How to trim African Iris? Its delicate white flowers unfurl atop rigid stalks. It is OK to cut back the leaves any time after they begin to yellow or become limp. Its sturdy, reed-like foliage is evergreen and a wonderful accent plant in the landscape. African irises are perfect plants to place in borders, in front of foundation plants, and along the entrance to the home. It is a tough plant that will grow in most soils and, once established, will survive harsh growing conditions – even tolerating drought. Wait until flowering is over before dividing the iris clump, discarding any old, woody rhizomes and replanting only young, healthy plants into freshly-prepared soil. Family Iridaceae . Cut back your transplanted iris foliage to … Don't cut flower stems (they last for more than a year) until they clearly have stopped producing blooms; then cut back to lower leaf joint near base of stem. Its sepals are bright white with a yellow signal. As for cutting fans. — M.M., Clear Lake. After the first hard freeze, you can break the life cycle of the iris borer with good garden sanitation. Butterfly iris is similar, but with wider leaves. See your local frost dates. When pruning a fortnight lily, it is important to understand how they grow. If iris foliage is hit with heavy frost, remove and destroy it to eliminate borer eggs. see more; Synonyms Iris stylosa. The moths that emerged from the soil in the fall laid their eggs on the iris leaves. The African iris is a native of South Africa, this garden beauty can be found near marsh areas. The African Iris flowers are unique and striking. D. grandiflora (‘Wild Iris,’ ‘Large Wild Iris,’ ‘Fairy Iris’) flowers are much larger, last three days, and have dark spots at the base of the outer tepals; the plant is larger overall. Once the bearded iris flower dies, cut the bloom just below the flower. You need to leave a bit of leaf so that they can absorb sunshine energy to recharge the underground bulb. The soil is too hard to dig and divide. Blooming primarily in spring and summer and periodically throughout the winter. In the genus Dietes, and like its relatives in the genus Iris, butterfly iris has a linear, upright growth habit and underground stems. This plant flowers spring through fall. Dietes iris normally has a long period of bloom, so you can expect continued blossoms for several weeks. 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