Can Iris Be Cut?
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Yellow iris growing along my old cedar fence. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
“…I am in love with some of your beautiful iris. Question can they be cut and used in (flower) vases?” — Amanda
Can Iris Be Cut?
Hi Amanda, yes irises can be cut and used in flower vases. They don’t last as long as some other cut flowers but they certainly add some drama to any bouquet.
One of the ways you can keep them longer in a flower vase is to refresh the bottom stem cut and replace the water in the vase.
Here are two iris stems I cut a day ago and placed in a flower vase in my kitchen. All iris flowers are in bud form.
Cut iris in a flower vase in my kitchen. Let’s see how long it takes for them to open. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
That was mid-afternoon the day before. The next morning, this is what I found blooming in my kitchen:
Cut iris stems are now in water in a vase getting ready to bloom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
The flowers tend to last 1-3 days depending on how warm the room is. I don’t know who has enough room in a refrigerator to store them overnight but a florist friend told me they can last longer kept in a cooler environment.
We’ve had record cold temperature early May in Missouri but I suppose I could have placed them outside overnight. The temperatures have averaged around 45F evenings.
After 3 days, these iris started to fade. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
Once they start to fade, I cut off the spent flowers so that they don’t detract from the rest of the buds.
If you have irises you enjoy, definitely bring a stem or two inside, place in water and enjoy!
