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 bulleyana is the normal, purple-flowered form of this species, propagated from a recent introduction. The flowers are mid purple, with darker purple veins on the standards and on the falls, which have a light yellow zone.