These irises are usually used in damp places and bog gardens, but they grow well also in drier places. They make robust clumps of long, narrow leaves, and the stems of narrow-petalled flowers stand up well above the foliage. There are just a few species, but many selected varieties.

Iris forrestii was originally thought to be Iris chrysographes, but when it produced yellow flowers we realised that it was Iris forrestii. The flowers are decorated with many fine veins in a reddish brown colour.