Iris sanguinea, blood iris, with reddish-purple to blue-violet flowers on a slim unbranched stem above grassy gray-green leaves
Iris sanguinea, blood iris, with reddish-purple to blue-violet flowers on a slim unbranched stem above grassy gray-green leaves
Pollinator Deer-Resistant

Blood Iris

Iris sanguinea

$20.00
1 Gallon USDA Zones 5–8 Full Sun and Part Shade Matures 12–24 Inches

Iris sanguinea, the blood iris, carries reddish-purple to blue-violet flowers on slim unbranched stems above grassy gray-green blades, a moisture-loving cousin of the Siberian iris.

Pickup available at Aiken Nursery

Usually ready in 2-4 days

Healthy-arrival guarantee Free shipping over $150
Roots wrapped in moist soil and padded for safe transit
Grown and shipped from our nursery in Aiken, SC
Shipping later in the season? Schedule your delivery date in your cart.
The Full Story

There is a small lie in the name. Sanguinea means blood, and yet the iris in front of you is blue, or blue running toward violet, with only a wine-dark deepening in the falls to argue the case. The botanists felt the strain too: Carl Thunberg first tried to file the plant as Iris orientalis in 1794, found that name already taken, and the species waited until 1813 for the one carried since. The Japanese never bothered with Latin. To them the flower is ayame, one of the three irises of early summer, threaded through a thousand years of poetry and arriving in that uncertain seam where the old poets could never quite agree whether spring had ended or summer begun.

Tell the species from the familiar Siberian iris by the stems: sanguinea carries the flowers on a single unbranched stalk, sibirica branches. The two run so close that most of the garden Siberians you can buy are crosses between them, and close enough that taxonomists keep threatening to fold one wholly into the other. Either way you get narrow gray-green blades, slim and upright, and reddish-purple flowers held just above the foliage in late spring.

A plant of wet Asian meadows, wanting sun or a little shade and ground that stays damp, the blood iris repays a pond edge or a low moist border by thickening, season on season, into a generous clump. Blue with a rumor of blood, and worth growing for the argument alone.
Will this plant thrive in your zone?

Plant Profile
At a glance
Hardiness
USDA Zones 5–8
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade
Soil
Moist, Well-drained
Mature size
Height 12–24 Inches · Spread 12–15 Inches
Growth rate
Moderate
Seasonality
Deciduous
Design Notes

A plant of damp meadows, happiest in sun to light shade on ground that never dries: a pond or stream edge, a rain garden, or the low, moist end of a border. Massed, the slim gray-green blades and reddish-purple flowers read as a clean vertical thread, thickening season on season into a generous clump. Pair with Siberian irises, moisture-loving perennials, and native sedges, leave the three-sided seed capsules standing for winter interest, and divide every few years to keep the clump vigorous.

Flower, Fruit & Foliage

Reddish-purple to blue-violet, late spring

Flower. Two or three blooms to a stem, beardless, in reddish-purple running to blue-violet, the falls veined and signalled toward the throat, carried just clear of the foliage on hollow, unbranched stalks in late spring. A rare white form turns up. The unbranched stem is the quickest way to tell the plant from the branching Siberian iris.

Fruit. A dry, three-sided capsule, triangular in cross-section the way the whole Sibiricae group runs, that ripens, hardens, and splits along the seams to spill flat, disc-shaped seeds. Left standing, the brown capsules hold their shape into winter and earn their keep in a frosted border.

Foliage. Narrow, grassy, gray-green blades to about two feet long and barely half an inch wide, upright at first and arching as they lengthen, rising in clumps from a thick creeping rhizome. A slim vertical line of foliage that holds the bed together long after the flowers have gone.

Care

Read our full care guide

Light. Full sun to part shade; the best bloom comes in sun, with light afternoon shade welcome where summers are hot.

Soil. Rich, moist, slightly acid to neutral soil; more tolerant of wet ground than most irises.

Water. Keep the soil consistently moist, especially in dry spells; a natural for pond edges and rain gardens, though not permanently submerged.

Pruning. Cut spent bloom stems after flowering, or leave the capsules for winter; tidy old foliage before spring.

Hardiness. Cold hardy through zones 5 to 8, dying back in winter and returning from the rhizome each spring.

Here’s a closer look at how we produce our plants

From rooting to shipping, our top priority is ensuring you receive healthy, thriving plants for your garden’s success.

Woodlanders Growing Process

Because most of our plants are grown from rooted cuttings — alongside seed, air layering, and grafting chosen for each variety — you receive a stronger, true-to-type plant that establishes quickly in your garden.

Sustainable Growing Practices

Raised on organic soil blends and eco-friendly pest management — never harsh chemicals — your plant arrives healthy for your garden, your family, and the pollinators they feed.

Supporting Local Biodiversity

Every purchase gives back. We donate to the Aiken Arboretum and support local wildlife conservation, so growing your garden helps protect the wider ecosystem too.

At Woodlanders, we are committed to quality.
Grown in Aiken, South Carolina
At Woodlanders, we are committed to quality.

All our plant material is carefully propagated, grown, and nurtured at our humble nursery in Aiken, South Carolina.

Learn more about Woodlanders
Healthy plants, ready to thrive
Success, made simple
Healthy plants, ready to thrive

Your plant arrives carefully packed and ready to settle in. Unpack them promptly, give them a day or two to acclimate, then plant following the notes we include — that’s all it takes. Clear care guidance comes with every order, so success is the easy part.

Read the care guide
Also found in
Frequently Asked Questions
What to expect upon delivery

All our plants are sold in 1-gallon sizes, though the height of each plant can vary depending on its growth rate and seasonality, typically ranging from 1/2 to 2.5 feet.

Each plant is carefully packaged with its roots enclosed in a secure plastic bag containing moist soil, forming a compact root ball. To ensure safe transport, the box is padded with recycled newspaper, providing both stability and eco-friendly protection from weather during shipping.
What is your return policy?

Review our full return policy information on our SHIPPING AND RETURNS POLICY page.
What payment methods can I use?

We offer 35 different payment methods including major providers like Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, American Express and Diners as well as many different local payment methods including Klarna, iDEAL, AliPay, Sofort, giropay, and many more.
Can I make changes to my order after it’s been placed?

At Woodlanders, we strive to fulfill orders as quickly as possible. Therefore, we can only accommodate changes to your order within the first 24 hours after it has been placed. These changes include adding or removing products and modifying the delivery address. If you need to make any changes or if there has been a mistake with your order information, please reach out to us promptly via our CONTACT page with your order number for the quickest resolution.

Your satisfaction is our priority, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.