Butterfly Iris: Did You Know?

It has 18-inch long, medium-green leaves that arise from slender rhizomes and gracefully arch back towards the ground.

In late winter through mid-spring (Feb-May) appear the 2-foot tall intricately branched flower stems bearing 25 to 50 delicate nearly-white flowers.

The blossoms of ‘Nada’ are characterized by their pristine white petals, which may carry faint hints of blue or lavender at their base, creating a serene and almost ethereal appearance.

Snails seem to like this plant so protection is required to maintain the attractive foliage. This iris was hybridized by renowned southern California nurseryman Jimmy Giridlian in the early 1950’s. ‘Nada’ not only persists in the garden but also increases to form large stands.

It is sometimes labeled as a selection of Iris japonica but Giridlian noted in his 1952 Oakhurst Gardens catalog that it was a hybrid between Iris wattii and I. japonica.

That it has become a garden favorite can be attested by its mention in Victoria Padilla’s book Southern California Gardens (1961) where she writes “One of his earliest introductions was an iris cross that he called ‘Nada’ which, because of its evergreen foliage and dainty orchid-like quality of its numerous flowers, has become one of the most popular irises of its kind in California and in the southern states.”