code: 748
star-like flowers on grassy foliage from spring through early summer
Family: Iridaceae
Common name: Yellow Stone
Plant Classification: Hardy perennial
Minimum Height: 10 cm
Maximum Height: 15 cm
Not really a grass, these gorgeous tiny plants are close cousins of the familiar garden Irises. They make slowly spreading colonies in almost any position but never seem to become a problem with their bright yellow, star-like flowers on grassy foliage from spring through early summer. They are native to the west coast of the USA from British Columbia to California, often colonising edges of bogs and in moist grasslands.
Sowing advice:
Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.
Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-10. This perennial will not survive winters in St. Louis, but may be grown as a self-seeding annual in protected locations in the St. Louis area. It is frequently grown in medium to wet soils in full sun. But, it will also tolerate somewhat drier conditions. Even when grown in boggy sites, it generally prefers drier soils as of mid-summer. Tolerates light shade. Plants will freely self-seed in optimum growing conditions. Plants may not self-seed north of USDA Zone 6.
Garden Uses
Grow as an annual in St. Louis. Effective in informal garden areas such as cottage gardens, woodland gardens, wild gardens, native plant areas, along ponds or in moist areas of water gardens. Also effective in border fronts and rock gardens.
