Photographer: Hal Horwitz

An easy-to-grow plant for the woodland garden, Crested Iris makes a beautiful show with it blue-violet-colored blooms with a yellow crest arising out of lovely, glossy bright-green foliage. It is a low-growing, spreading ground cover that grows only to 4 and a half inches tall. It naturalizes beautifully in the rock garden.

It prefers partial shade and moist soil, but tolerates full sun if the soil is sufficiently moist.

Bloom time: Mid to late May