The Pacific Coast irises include quite a few species and many hybrids, which flourish in the summer-dry conditions of the west coast of America, but also do well in the much cooler and damper weather of the UK and western Europe. They are not tolerant of extreme cold, and like well-drained soil. They make clumps of narrow leaves, and typically have just a few flowers on each stem, but these flowers are large, often pale colours with veins and patterns of deeper colours.

Iris douglasiana is a very reliable, vigorous iris, and an established plant will produce many flower stems, with two or three beautiful bluish purple flowers with reddish-purple falls on each stem. This form has particularly large flowers.