Roast-beef Plant Care

Iris foetidissima, the stinking iris, gladdon, Gladwin iris, roast-beef plant, or stinking gladwin, is a species of iris found in open woodland, hedgebanks and sea-cliffs. Its natural range is Western Europe.

Iris foetidissima, commonly called stinking iris, Gladwin iris and coral iris, is perhaps grown more for its attractive coral seed clusters than for its flowers. This is a rhizomatous, beardless iris which typically grows 1.5 to 2' tall. Pale lilac flowers bloom in late spring on scapes rising 10-24" tall. Flowers are followed by seed capsules which mature over the summer and split open in early fall to reveal stringy clusters of bead-like, bright orange-red seeds which are extremely showy and persistent, often remaining in the open pods on the plants well into winter. Seed stalks are valued for dried flower arrangements. Dark green sword-shaped linear leaves (to 24" long and 1" wide) are unpleasantly aromatic (though not necessarily fetid as the species name suggests) when cut or bruised. Genus named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow. Specific epithet means very bad-smelling.