Blackberry lily is a rhizomatous perennial in the Iridaceae (iris) family and is native to Asia. It has iris-like leaves but the flowers resemble a lily and the fruit splits open to reveal a cluster of blackberry like seeds. The orange-spotted flowers appear in sprays of 3-12 in late summer for several weeks. Well-drained soil is a must, especially in winter as wet soils are fatal. Plant in average moist well-drained garden soil in full sun to partial shade 3-4 in. apart (6-9 per sq. ft.) with a depth of 5 in. to base of the rhizome. They are drought tolerant once established. Use in the perennial border of a cottage or coastal garden. Mass plant them along a walkway, add them to a cutting garden, or intersperse them throughout a xeric garden. Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious pest or disease issues . The rhizomes could be affected by iris borers, slugs and snails. More information on Iris .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Orange/red flowers bloom at the top of the stems in summer (July to August). The 2-inch flowers are mainly orange but have red dots and a tint of yellow at the center of the flower.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black; Gold/Yellow; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
Yellow-green and lobed capsules split to reveal blackberry like seed cluster.
Stem detail
wire-like
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Himalayas to Russian Far East
Wildlife value
Attracts butterflies
Attracts
Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Uses (ethnobotany)
The rhizome has been used in Asian herbal medicine