Moraea: Country Or Region Of Origin
Tropical & South Africa, Mediterranean to Western Himalaya
Plant Profile: Moraea
Taxonomy: MoraeaNames
Butterfly Iris, Cape Tulips, Peacock Flower
Phonetic Spelling:mor-EYE-ah
Genus:Moraea
Species:
Family:Iridaceae
The genus Moraea, belonging to the Iris family, comprises around 200 species of unique, drought-resistant plants primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa. Certain Moraea species that originate from South Africa possess sufficient cold hardiness to thrive in gardens located in the Southeastern United States. For optimal growth, plant 5 to 6 corms in a 6-inch pot, burying them to a depth of 4 inches.
Tags
#bulb
#showy flowers
#full sun tolerant
#annual
#drought tolerant
#perennial
#many colors
#summer bulbs
#container plants
Similar Plants
Moraea Feature Summary
Attributes
Tropical & South Africa, Mediterranean to Western Himalaya
Store corms in peat or vermiculite at 35-50 degrees F (2-10C) when dormant
Perennial
Annual
Bulb
Flowers
Simple & elegant iris-like flowers with nectar guides in center
Pink
White
Gold/Yellow
Blue
Orange
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Slender, grassy leaves.
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Rosulate
Linear
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Annual
Herbaceous Perennial
Bulb
Deciduous
Erect
Medium
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Clay
Sand
Stem
Landscape
Moraea Image Gallery
Moraea Attributes
Moraea: Bulb Storage
Store corms in peat or vermiculite at 35-50 degrees F (2-10C) when dormant
Moraea: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Moraea: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Moraea Flowers
Moraea: Flower Description
Simple & elegant iris-like flowers with nectar guides in center
Moraea: Flower Color
Blue
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Pink
White
Moraea: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Moraea: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Moraea: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Moraea: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Moraea Leaves
Moraea: Leaf Description
Slender, grassy leaves.
Moraea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Moraea: Leaf Color
Green
Moraea: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Moraea: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Moraea: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Moraea: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Moraea Whole Plant Traits
Moraea: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Moraea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Moraea: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Moraea: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Moraea: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Moraea Cultural Conditions
Moraea: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Moraea: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Moraea: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Moraea Stem
Moraea: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Moraea Landscape
Moraea: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Moraea: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Moraea: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
