Common Name: Leopard Lily

General Information

Iris domestica is a perennial plant growing from 50 - 150cm tall. It produces a clump of sword-shaped leaves from a short, creeping, stoloniferous rhizome[].
The plant is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, usually harvested from the wild but sometimes also cultivated. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental, especially in the warm temperate zone and less frequently so in the tropics[].

Known Hazards

The plant is slightly toxic[].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines

Habitat

Shrubberies and banks at the edge of cultivation in rich damp soils in the Himalayas[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects, Apomixis
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Iris domestica is found from the tropics to the warm temperate zone. It is a fairly hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c if given a deep dry mulch over the cold season[, ].
Requires a fairly rich sandy or loamy soil in a bright sunny position or light shade. Succeeds in most soils[]. Requires a position that stays moist in the summer[]. Plants grow best in areas with long hot summers[].
A short lived plant, in colder areas the bulbs are usually lifted at the end of the growing season and stored in a cool but frost-free place over the winter, replanting them in the spring[]. They can be left in the ground in milder areas so long as the soil is well-drained[].
The plant can flower within one year of sowing the seed. The flowers are open for a few hours only, from dawn to noon, and only 1 - 2 flowers open at a time within one cyme[]. However, the plant can produce a succession of blooms over a period of several weeks[].
Slugs really love this plant and can destroy even quite large clumps as they come into new growth[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[, ]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal

Leopard lily has a very long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a bitter cooling herb that acts mainly on the lungs and the liver, lowering fevers and reducing inflammation[]. It is effective against a number of bacterial, fungal and viral organisms[] and has also been used as an antidote to snakebites[].

The root contains several medically active constituents including flavonoids and isoflavonoids[]. It also contains the glucosides belamcandin, tectoridin, shekanin and iridin[]. It is analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, depurative, expectorant, febrifuge, pectoral, purgative, stomachic and tonic[, , , , , , , , ]. It is used especially in the treatment of inflammations of the throat and upper respiratory tract, including acute laryngitis, acute tonsillitis, oedema of the glottis, asthma and cough with profuse sputum[, , ]. The juice of the root is used in Nepal to treat liver complaints, where it has the added benefit of improving the appetite[]. This juice is also used to abort a foetus during the first trimester of pregnancy[].
The root should not be prescribed for pregnant women[].
The root is harvested in the summer and autumn, and dried for later use[].

Other Uses

The root contains tannin[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Pre-chill stored seed for 7 days and sow spring in a cold frame. The seed germinates in 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. They can be planted out in early autumn and should flower in the following year[].
Division in spring or early autumn[]. Larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.