Blackberry lily is normally planted in the spring from potted nursery plants or bare roots purchased from online sellers.
But blackberry lilies spread easily, both from rhizomes and by self-seeding, creating an ongoing patch of plants.
All members of theIrisgenus contain compounds that are mildly toxic to humans and pets.
Most complaints about invasiveness come from the Northeast.
Light
Choose a site with full sun to grow your blackberry lilies.
Soggy soils, especially in winter, can cause the rhizomes of blackberry lilies to rot.
Poor soils tend to make the plants shorter; in rich soils, they will be taller.
Err on the side of less water, not more.
If your garden is getting rain every week or two, extra irrigation is rarely necessary.
During drought periods, 1/2 inch per week is entirely adequate.
Water should be cut back during the dormant winter months to discourage root rot.
Hot weather and high humidity are not issues for cultivating the blackberry lily.
The plants are not susceptible to mildews or fungi, provided no standing water is present.
Fertilizer
Supplemental fertilizer is not necessary to grow blackberry lilies.
The plants are not heavy feeders, and can get thenutrients they needfrom the soil.
For the amount to use, follow product label instructions.
But genetic sequencing demonstrated that this plant is anIrisspecies, and today is officially listed asIris domestica.
Pruning the flower stems after they fade may help prolong the bloom period with new blossoms.
Cut back blackberry lily at the end of the growing season.
Remove the yellowing foliage to tidy up the garden and eliminate fungal spores and nesting areas for pests.
Growing Blackberry Lily From Seed
you’re free to easily grow blackberry lily from seed.
In the fall, collect the seeds once the seed pods have become dry and papery.
A sign that they are ready is when the seeds inside the pod are rattling.
Cold stratification of the seeds significantly improves the germination.
Stratified seeds usually germinate in 1 to 2 weeks.
Keep the pots well-watered in a bright location until the seedlings sprout.
Move them to a sunny location and continue to grow them, watering when the soil gets dry.
At this point, they can be transplanted into the garden.
Plant up two or three blackberry lilies in the same pot to give a full look.
Use well-drained potting soil in any container with good drainage.
Arrange the rhizomes close to the soil’s surface so that they are not touching.
Divide and repot the lilies as they expand and become crowded.
Repot in late summer, when growth slows down.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Blackberry lilies are generally trouble-free plants.
However, thecommon iris borercan infect and even kill plants.
If your plant looks wilted or discolored, look for this hole.
Remove and destroy any infected plants, roots and all.
This is a common problem in extremely wet climates.
Badly affected plants will need to be removed and discarded.
How Long Does Blackberry Lily Bloom?
What Do the Blackberry Flowers Look and Smell Like?
The lily-like flowers are deep orange with lots of red spots.
The flowers have no noticeable floral fragrance.
Deadheading Blackberry Lily Flowers
Deadheading of blackberry lily is encouraged because it will promote additional blooms.
Some gardeners find themselves disappointed by the shorter bloom period and rather subtle display.
Blackberry lily is typically used in sunny mixed border gardens.
The similar name and appearance of thetiger lily(Lilium lancifolium) and the blackberry lily can cause confusion.
At a glance, one simply notices similar orange petals with darker spots on both flowers.
However, the tiger lilya true lilyis quite different when you look beyond surface appearances.
Tiger lily also has flowers with prominent stamens and recurved petals, missing from the blackberry lily.
Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants.
Iris domestica.North Carolina State Extension.
Iris domestica.Missouri Botanical Garden.
Iris domesticaorBlackberry Lily, Belamcanda chinensis.University of Wisconsin Division of Extension.
