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 chrysographes dark-flowered are plants raised from seed taken from the black-flowered form. They always have very dark flowers, and often are just as dark as the parent, but sometimes they are very deep purple. They always have the characteristic yellow 'writing' on the falls.