Identify this plant

[yg17]

Last year I bought a house that had this planted in the flower bed in my front yard. This spring, it grew pretty big and also grew flowers. Then almost as soon as the flowers grew, it started dying. I have no gardening skills whatsoever, so I'd like to read up on the best way to care for it and to get it to look better. But, first I need to know what plant it is:

Yesterday, I was walking through Lowe's home and garden to pick up some weed killer and happened to walk past a tree with similar looking leaves, and it said it was a Yucca tree, so I'm guessing this is a Yucca plant? Not sure though.

Bonus points if you can also tell me how to get it looking less dead

 

[Huntn]

Based on the leaf and flowers, it looks like an Iris, but am not sure. Maybe along these lines? plum scented iris Google "iris with small flowers" to see lots of pics.

I believe iris like good drainage, but because they are a bulb, they might die back and will come back the following year unless they are drowned. They bloom once in the year. What climate do you live in?

 

[yg17]

Based on the leaf and flowers, it looks like an Iris, but am not sure. Maybe along these lines? plum scented iris Google "iris with small flowers" to see lots of pics.

I believe iris like good drainage, but because they are a bulb, they might die back and will come back the following year unless they are drowned. They bloom once in the year. What climate do you live in?

Thanks. Iris may be it.

Climate? Ha, I live in St. Louis, we have no single climate. It was cold through April, rained nonstop in May, warm in June and currently hotter than the 7th layer of hell in July

 

[Huntn]

Thanks. Iris may be it.

Climate? Ha, I live in St. Louis, we have no single climate. It was cold through April, rained nonstop in May, warm in June and currently hotter than the 7th layer of hell in July

Actually irises as a tropical plant (I think) seem to be very accommodating from Texas to Minnesota.

 

[chown33]

The most reliable identification is likely to come from a local garden store or a plant nursery. Bring your picture with you. Or dig up one of the plants and bring it; it looks like you can spare one.

They'll also be more likely to give you good advice on how to care for it in your location.

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

It's definitely a bearded iris. Just google how to care for them. They are pretty hardy, need a good bit of sun and good drainage. They don't have bulbs, instead they have rhizomes, the knuckles are offset from the fanlike leaf growth & stick up out of the ground a bit --as they should. If they're too deep or covered they rot.

After they have bloomed, the leaves can be trimmed a little bit. You don't want to remove too much because the leaves feed the rhizomes. If they start bunching up or overcrowding, you can dig some up to plant elsewhere. Just remember they have a sort of L-shaped structure at the base --lower bar is the rhizome and the vertical bar is the point where the leaves fan out.

We have a very tall white variety which is incredibly fragrant. The purple ones are most common, but there a lot of unique color mixtures too.

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Based on your photo, to tidy things up a bit:

Remove the spent flower stalks or else they create seed heads and look all dry & gnarly.

Trim or pull out the dried up leaves, be careful not to damage the rhizomes.

Don't be tempted to cover the rhizomes with mulch - that'll smother them and cause rotting. Better that they get air & sun.

 

[Ugg]

What cricket girl said.

Also, I'd like to add that bearded iris are very easy to transplant mainly because the rhizomes are mostly on top of the soil so it's easy to see what you're doing. If you do transplant them only set them in the soil, don't cover them with soil.

They're pretty much a one shot wonder and only bloom for a few weeks of the year. The foliage however remains attractive throughout the summer. Just pull off the brown bits and leave the rest alone.

Bearded irises are considered herbaceous perennials which means they die back in the winter and come back every spring. The best rule of thumb for herbaceous perennial maintenance is, "if it's green leave it be, if it's brown cut it down".

 

[GoCubsGo]

You could maintain the ground beneath it and around it to let it stand out a bit more. **** dies on me frequently so I tend not to give much advice. Whatever gives me problems around the house I tend to dig up and toss.

 

[aPple nErd]

Its most definantly an iris.