I grow iris in my garden beds with several plants, including sedums. Ogon seems like a good choice. I have learned not to plant large floppy plants that shade the iris out, but have used low growing sedums, short balloon flowers, blue flax, and really like hardy geraniums that kind of float through the iris stems.

Thanks for the reply. =)

Which other sedums do you use? I have balloon flowers, but they burn in the heat of our full sun here. I have them in partial sun and they're happy, but that wouldn't work where the irises will be. Geraniums are rotters here if not potted. We've got too much humidity for them to be happy in the ground; they like lots of airflow around them. Blue flax... I've never tried it, so that's definitely one to investigate.

LOL, reading my response, you would think nothing grows here at all! We can grow plenty... but zone can make such a huge difference. My sister-in-law is envious of what we can grow when she comes to visit from Ohio, and the reverse is true when we go visit her. I guess we always want what we can't have, eh?! ;-)

Ev

I have several of the ground covers, can't think of the name of all-blue spruce, tricolor, dragon's blood. I've tried Angelina sedum because I like the bright gold color, but it keeps dying on me. I have also used the taller ones with my iris-matrona, Autumn Joy, mediovariegata, & frosty morn. I have had to cut them back if they get floppy though, but it doesn't seem to be much of a problem except with Autumn Joy. I have a scabiosa that shows off well too. I've been thinking melampodium might be quite nice with the iris when they aren't in bloom, I might try that next year.

ngraham, thanks for the suggestions! The spruce and tricolor sedums were two that I had looked at as possibilities, along with Ogon. I hadn't even considered the others, so I'll have to check into them. I was hoping someone else had used the groundcovers successfully. =)

Ev, I've been growing the groundcover Sedums Album, Spurium (Dragon's Blood, Tri-Color, VooDoo etc), Divergens & Angelina
with my potted TB Iris for a few years now and they all seem to love it! Looks pretty, too!
Marea

Has anyone tried Lamium? I'm thinking of trying orchid frost and keeping it cut back from the rhizomes. Any thoughts?

It would look pretty, but I believe lamium needs shade.

I'm in zone 5, I have Lamium 'Silver Beacon' in full sun. It THRIVES and flowers profusely from spring to frost, I pretty much neglected it last year. It took a year to establish before it took off. Clayish soil. I think it would look nice with iris.

I also like the look of iris with Cranesbill Geranium. I'm planting iris with Angelina Sedum this year.

Yes, Sedum with Irises and also...though some may scoff at the idea, I like Lambs Ear with my Siberian Irises. In both cases, the sedum or the Lamb's ear pairs well and provides interest with texture.

I have catmint, daylilies, columbine, black-eyed susans and salvia...oh and peonies. I have Autumn Joy near some irises but they bloom about 4/5 weeks apart where I am.