SKU: 00840369413215 3 City Lights Reblooming Bearded Iris Iris germanica 'City Lights' Bareroots

Key Features

• Growth Habit: Upright, clump-forming rhizomatous perennial with thick horizontal rhizomes and fans of narrow, sword-shaped green to blue-green foliage. Established plants gradually spread outward as the rhizomes produce new offsets.
• Bloom Color: Spectacular violet-blue to rich blue-purple flowers highlighted by a contrasting white central area. The combination creates a luminous, almost glowing effect in the center of each blossom.
• Flower Form: Large, elegant Bearded Iris flowers with broad, ruffled petals. Upright standards are complemented by gracefully arching falls and the characteristic fuzzy beard.
• Bloom Season: Produces its primary display in mid to late spring and has the potential to rebloom from late summer into fall. The exact timing and reliability of rebloom vary according to climate and growing conditions.
• Fragrance: Flowers may offer a light, pleasant fragrance, although scent intensity can vary with temperature, flower maturity, and growing conditions.
• Fruit Flavor: None. Pollinated flowers may eventually form dry seed capsules, but Bearded Iris does not produce edible fruit. Seeds and capsules should not be consumed.
• Culinary Uses: None recommended. City Lights is grown as an ornamental plant and should not be used as food. Its rhizomes, foliage, flowers, and seeds should not be considered edible.
• Medicinal Uses: Certain Iris species have histories of traditional medicinal and perfumery use, including specially processed orris root. City Lights is an ornamental Bearded Iris and should not be used for homemade medicinal preparations, teas, supplements, or self-treatment.
• Possible Toxicity to Pets or Humans: Harmful if ingested. Iris plants contain irritating compounds, particularly in the rhizomes. Eating plant material can cause drooling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort. Iris can also cause gastrointestinal problems in dogs, cats, and horses. Contact with the sap or rhizomes may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals, so gloves are recommended when planting or dividing.
• Wildlife & Pest Resistance: Flowers may attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. Bearded Iris is generally considered resistant to deer and rabbit browsing. Possible pests include iris borers, thrips, aphids, slugs, and snails. Potential diseases include bacterial soft rot and fungal leaf diseases. Rhizome rot is more likely where drainage is poor or rhizomes are planted too deeply.
• Planting Zone: Generally suitable for USDA Zones 3–9, although flowering and rebloom performance may vary according to climate.
• Sun Preferences: Prefers full sun, ideally receiving at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Light afternoon shade can be beneficial in exceptionally hot climates, but excessive shade can reduce flowering.
• Soil Preferences: Performs best in fertile, well-drained soil. Neutral to slightly alkaline soil is ideal. Heavy, continuously wet soil should be avoided because it increases the likelihood of rhizome rot.
• Drought Tolerance: High once established. Mature plants tolerate periods of dry weather well. Because City Lights is a reblooming cultivar, however, supplemental water during extended summer drought can encourage stronger growth and improve the possibility of a second flowering cycle.
• Mature Size: Typically reaches approximately 36–40 inches tall when flowering, with established clumps gradually spreading approximately 18–24 inches or more as the rhizomes multiply.

When and How to Prune

City Lights Bearded Iris requires relatively little pruning.

Remove individual faded flowers throughout the blooming period as desired. Once every flower on a stalk has finished blooming, cut the entire spent flower stalk back near its base.

After the initial spring flowering, leave all healthy green foliage intact. The sword-shaped leaves continue photosynthesizing and replenishing energy stored within the rhizomes.

This is especially important for a reblooming iris. Do not cut healthy foliage back during summer, as the plant needs its leaves to support continued growth and possible development of additional flower stalks.

Remove individual leaves that become yellow, brown, damaged, or diseased.

If the plant produces a second flowering cycle, remove those spent flower stalks after blooming has finished.

In late fall, after frost and natural foliage decline, trim old foliage back to approximately 4–6 inches above the ground. Remove dead foliage and other garden debris from around the rhizomes to reduce overwintering pests and disease problems.

Planting Instructions (Rhizomes into the Ground)

Although City Lights Bearded Iris is often sold alongside flowering bulbs, it grows from a rhizome rather than a true bulb. Bearded Iris rhizomes require very shallow planting and should never be buried deeply like tulips, daffodils, or Dutch Iris bulbs.

1. Plant rhizomes primarily from mid-summer through early fall, ideally giving them several weeks to establish roots before severe winter weather.
2. Select a planting location receiving at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
3. Make sure the planting site has excellent drainage. Avoid low areas where water remains after rainfall.
4. Loosen the soil approximately 8–10 inches deep.
5. Improve heavy or compacted soil before planting if necessary to provide better drainage.
6. Dig a shallow planting hole and form a small mound of soil in its center.
7. Position the rhizome horizontally across the top of the mound, with the leafy fan pointing upward.
8. Spread the attached roots naturally downward and outward along the sides of the mound.
9. Backfill around the roots while keeping the upper surface of the rhizome at soil level or slightly exposed.
10. Do not bury the rhizome several inches underground. Deep planting can significantly reduce flowering and encourage rot.
11. Space individual rhizomes approximately 12–18 inches apart.
12. Water thoroughly immediately after planting to settle the soil around the roots.
13. Keep newly planted rhizomes moderately moist while they establish, allowing the soil to begin drying between waterings.
14. Once established, water deeply but less frequently.
15. Avoid placing thick mulch directly over the rhizomes. Good sunlight exposure and air circulation around the upper rhizome help prevent rot.

Encouraging Rebloom

City Lights is valued for its potential to provide more than one flowering period during the growing season.

After the initial spring bloom, remove spent flower stalks but leave healthy foliage untouched. Continue providing adequate water during prolonged periods of hot, dry weather so the plant does not become severely stressed.

Established reblooming irises generally perform best when they receive plenty of sunlight, adequate summer moisture, and sufficient nutrients.

Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer, which may encourage lush foliage at the expense of flowers. If fertilizer is needed, choose an appropriate balanced or relatively low-nitrogen product and apply according to label directions.

Keep the planting uncrowded. Older clumps that have become congested may produce fewer flowers and have reduced rebloom performance.

Under favorable conditions, additional flower stalks may appear from late summer through fall. Rebloom is influenced by climate, rainfall, temperature, plant maturity, and length of the growing season, so a second display should be considered possible rather than guaranteed every year.

Overwintering Steps

• City Lights is a cold-hardy perennial and can generally remain in the ground throughout winter within its recommended growing zones.
• After the final flowering period, remove spent flower stalks.
• Allow healthy foliage to remain until cold weather causes natural decline.
• In late fall, trim old foliage back to approximately 4–6 inches tall.
• Remove dead leaves, weeds, and other garden debris from around the rhizomes to help reduce overwintering iris borers and disease organisms.
• Avoid covering the rhizomes with thick, moisture-retaining mulch.
• Newly planted rhizomes in particularly cold areas may benefit from a light protective winter covering after the ground becomes cold.
• Remove excessive winter protection as temperatures begin warming in spring.
• Excellent winter drainage is essential. Bearded Iris generally tolerates freezing temperatures much better than cold, saturated soil.
• Inspect rhizomes in early spring and remove any portions that have become soft, rotten, or severely damaged.

Dividing and Long-Term Care

City Lights gradually spreads as mature rhizomes produce new offsets. Over several growing seasons, a single plant can develop into a broad and impressive clump.

Eventually, overcrowding may reduce flower production and can also decrease the likelihood of rebloom. Divide established clumps approximately every 3–5 years, or whenever flowering begins noticeably declining.

The best time to divide is generally mid- to late summer after the primary flowering season.

Carefully lift the rhizomes from the ground and separate healthy younger sections. Discard rhizomes that are soft, rotten, hollow, badly damaged, or diseased.

Replant vigorous divisions at the proper shallow depth, keeping their roots beneath the soil while positioning the upper portion of the rhizome at or very near the soil surface.

With its brilliant violet-blue flowers, glowing white centers, elegant ruffled form, and potential for repeat flowering, City Lights Reblooming Bearded Iris creates a spectacular cool-toned display in the perennial garden. Its dramatic flowers are especially striking alongside yellow, white, silver, pink, and deep-purple companions, while its drought tolerance, deer resistance, and long-lived rhizomatous habit make it a dependable choice for sunny borders, cottage gardens, cutting gardens, and mass iris plantings.