Tall Bearded Iris Iris 'Going Home' (TB)

☠ Toxic to humans

🐾 Toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

Iris 'Going Home', which falls under the tall bearded iris category, boasts an impressive visual display. This plant features unique flowers characterized by their striking colors and intricate petal patterns. These blooms typically have two distinct types of petals: the "standards," which are the upright parts, and the "falls," which drape downwards. The flowers are adorned in a harmonious mix of soft pastel tones, often presenting a gradient of hues from the lighter edges to deeper, richer colors at the center or base. Each bloom provides a captivating visual with delicate veining or stippling highlighting the color transitions, adding depth and texture to the overall appearance. The flowers grow on sturdy, upright stalks that rise above the clump of arching, sword-like foliage. The leaves are bright green, providing a lush backdrop that further accentuates the beauty of the blooms. The foliage is dense, forming thick tufts or clumps, giving a full and hearty look to the plant at its base. Overall, the Iris 'Going Home' is a true garden showstopper, drawing the eye with its elegant flowers and contrasting gracefully against the foliage.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Synonyms
  Tall Bearded Iris, Bearded Iris
- Common names
  Iris 'Going Home' (TB)
Toxicity
- To humans
  The Iris, specifically Iris 'Going Home' (Tall Bearded), contains compounds that can be toxic to humans if ingested. Taller bearded iris varieties, like 'Going Home', have rhizomes that contain irritants. If these rhizomes or any other parts of the plant are swallowed, they can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In some cases, contact with the sap can also cause skin irritation.
- To pets
  The Iris, including Tall Bearded varieties like 'Going Home', is also considered toxic to pets. If ingested, the rhizomes can cause symptoms such as drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and abdominal pain. In severe cases, ingestion may result in more serious issues like elevated heart rate or breathing difficulties, depending on the amount ingested and the sensitivity of the pet. It is advisable to prevent pets from accessing and ingesting any part of the plant to avoid these potentially harmful effects.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Mixed
- Height
  3 feet (0.91 meters)
- Spread
  2 feet (0.61 meters)
- Plant type
  Bulb
- Hardiness zones
  Varies
- Native area
  Varies

Benefits

General Benefits
- Attractive Flowers: Tall Bearded Iris 'Going Home' produces beautiful, large flowers with intricate patterns and dramatic coloration, which provide visual appeal to gardens and landscapes.
- Drought Tolerance: Once established, they are relatively drought-tolerant, making them suitable for xeriscaping and low-water-use gardens.
- Low Maintenance: They require minimal care once established, making them ideal for gardeners seeking low-maintenance plants.
- Perennial Growth: As a perennial, the Tall Bearded Iris 'Going Home' grows back every year, providing long-term value for the initial planting.
- Pollinator-Friendly: Their flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinators, which can enhance pollination in your garden's ecosystem.
- Versatility in Landscaping: They can be used in a variety of landscape designs, including borders, cutting gardens, and as focal points in garden beds.
- Cold Hardy: These irises are generally cold hardy, making them suitable for growth in a range of climates with varying winters.
Medical Properties
This plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Crafting Natural Dyes: The Iris 'Going Home' can be used to extract natural dyes due to its pigmented petals, commonly producing hues of blue and purple for textile dyeing.
- Floral Arrangement: Its distinctive blooms make it a popular choice for inclusion in floral arrangements, adding an elegant touch to wedding bouquets or centerpieces.
- Photography Subject: The striking flowers make excellent subjects for photographers looking to capture the beauty of nature in gardens and natural settings.
- Culinary Garnish: Although not typically known for its edibility, the petals can be crystallized or used fresh as a delicate garnish on desserts and special dishes.
- Artistic Inspiration: Artists may utilize the form and color of the Iris 'Going Home' as inspiration for paintings, drawings, and other forms of visual art.
- Eco-friendly Confetti: Dried petals can be used as a biodegradable confetti alternative for celebrations, reducing plastic waste.
- Botanical Studies: Horticulture students and botanists may use Iris 'Going Home' to study the plant's morphology and growth patterns in a controlled environment.
- Potpourri Additive: The petals, once dried, can be added to potpourri mixtures for a natural fragrance and burst of color.
- Garden Design: Irises are often used in garden design for their vertical accent and early summer blooms, creating visually appealing perennial borders."
- Companion Planting: The Iris 'Going Home' can be used in companion planting to attract beneficial insects and pollinators, such as bees, to the garden.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The Iris is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The Iris is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Hope: The Iris commonly signifies hope and is often used to convey a sense of optimism for the future.
- Trust: Given its sturdy nature, it symbolizes trust, making it a fitting tribute to relationships built on mutual reliance.
- Wisdom: The Iris is also associated with wisdom, inspired by the Greek goddess Iris who was a messenger of the gods and a symbol of communication and advisement.
- Courage: In some cultural contexts, the Iris represents courage, embodying the bravery required to face new challenges or adventures.
- Purity: Due to its delicate and pristine flowers, the Iris is often seen as a representation of purity and innocence.
- Royalty: Its regal appearance has historically connected the Iris to royalty and noble bearings.
- Faith: Many view the Iris as a symbol of faith, believing it embodies a spiritual connection or belief in something greater.
- Transition: The Iris can symbolize change or transition, especially given its name 'Going Home', representing a journey to an afterlife or a return to one's roots.

💧

Every week

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 3-4 years

Repotting

🌱️

Late summer to early fall

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
Tall Bearded Iris 'Going Home' should be watered deeply to saturate the root zone, and then allowed to dry out somewhat before the next watering. They typically need watering every 7 to 10 days during the active growing season, especially if the weather is dry. It's important to avoid overwatering, as Iris plants do not like to sit in waterlogged soil. Generally, providing about one inch of water per week, either through rainfall or supplemental watering, is sufficient for their needs. During the hot summer months, you may need to increase the frequency, but always check the soil moisture first.
Light
Tall Bearded Iris 'Going Home' thrives in full sun conditions, which means it needs at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. The best spot for these irises is in an area where they can receive uninterrupted sunlight throughout the day. However, they can tolerate partial shade, especially in areas with very intense midday sun, but bloom best when provided enough light.
Temperature
The Tall Bearded Iris 'Going Home' can endure a wide temperature range but grows best when daytime temperatures are between 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They can survive winter temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit and summer temperatures up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal growing conditions for Tall Bearded Iris 'Going Home' involve seasonal temperature variations, with a colder winter to encourage dormancy and a warm spring for growth.
Pruning
Pruning Tall Bearded Iris 'Going Home' involves removing spent flower stems down to the base of the plant after blooming to maintain a tidy appearance and discourage disease. Additionally, trim away any damaged or diseased leaves as needed throughout the growing season. The best time to prune irises is immediately after they finish flowering and in late summer to prepare them for winter.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
Tall Bearded Iris prefers well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of around 6.8 to 7.0. A mixture of loamy garden soil, compost, and coarse sand is ideal to ensure good drainage and fertility.
Repotting
Tall Bearded Iris typically does not need frequent repotting. It is best to divide and replant these irises every 3-4 years to prevent overcrowding and to rejuvenate the clumps.
Humidity & Misting
Tall Bearded Iris is tolerant of a wide range of humidity conditions and does best with natural outdoor humidity, without the need for specific humidity control measures.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Ensure ample sunlight; avoid wet, poorly-draining soil.
- Outdoor
  Full sun, well-draining soil, divide every 3-4 years.
- Hardiness zone
  3-9 USDA
Life cycle
Iris 'Going Home', a tall bearded iris, begins its life as a rhizome, which is planted just below the soil surface. In spring, the rhizome sends up sword-shaped leaves and tall stems, which will eventually bear large, showy flowers. After blooming in late spring to early summer, the plant enters a period of vegetative growth where it builds up energy reserves in the rhizome. Following the flowering season, seed pods may form and, if not removed, will eventually release seeds into the soil. As the growing season ends, the plant enters dormancy, with the foliage dying back and the rhizome resting until the next spring. Each year, new offsets may develop from the original rhizome, which can be separated and replanted to propagate the plant.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Late summer to early fall
- The most popular method of propagation for the Iris 'Going Home' (Tall Bearded Iris) is division, which is typically done in late summer after the flowering period. To propagate by division, the clumps of irises are carefully dug up and the rhizomes, which are the horizontal underground stems, are separated by breaking or cutting them apart. Each division should have at least one fan of leaves and a section of the rhizome. The remaining leaves are often trimmed to about 6 inches (15 centimeters) to balance the loss of roots and to prevent windrock. The divisions are then replanted into well-draining soil, spaced approximately 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 centimeters) apart, with the rhizome slightly exposed to the air, as burying it too deeply can lead to rot. It's important to water the new plantings well to help establish them, but thereafter, they should only be watered moderately.