Illustration
Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris
Iris 'Cat's Eye'
Also called cat's eye, cat's eye dwarf iris and cat's eye dwarf bearded iris bulbs
Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris blooms from May through May.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 16 in tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (a house reading).
Is Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by NC State Extension, Pet Poison Helpline and Royal Horticultural Society.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension and Royal Horticultural Society.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant, with what the sources could not settle written down; years to mature size rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one, and is marked so; its common name and alternate names have not been checked yet. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris
Plant Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms in May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris get?
16 intall5 ft 7 inan adult12 inwideSee Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris about 12 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris' height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 10 published sources on October 13, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Plant Addictsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- NC State Extensionbearded garden-iris group contextsun, water, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- Breck'sGardens Aliveheight, hardiness zones, water, bloom months and color and soil
- Iowa State University Extensionbearded-iris groupsun, bloom months and color, soil, diseases and pests
- promessedefleurs.iePromesse de Fleurs (independent cultivar size page, France; English st...height, spread, hardiness zones, water and bloom months and color
- mid-americagarden.comMid-America Garden (originator and introducer)height, bloom months and color and trait tags
- schreinersgardens.comSchreiner's Gardensheight, bloom months and color and trait tags
- wiki.irises.orgAmerican Iris Society, Iris Encyclopedia (registration and observation)height, bloom months and color and trait tags
- wiki.irises.orgMid-America Garden, 2005 catalog (AIS historical catalog archive; same...bloom months and color
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societysoil
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Cat's Eye Dwarf Bearded Iris
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Toxic to dogs, cats and horses; the rhizome is the most toxic part. Eating it causes drooling, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. Sap can irritate skin. per ASPCA and NC State
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.