It has thin, sickle-shaped, grey-green leaves and medium-sized stem that holds 1-2 large flowers between March and April.

It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.

[7][8] The stem has 1 or 2 spathes (leaf of the flower bud), which are inflated, slightly pale violet-purple tinged and up to 10 cm (4 in) long.

[7][13] The Latin specific epithet damascena refers to coming from Damascus, Syria.

[14][15] In 1693, the name Iris damascena was used for a species of Polyanthus,[16][17] This name was later ignored due to Linnaeus' genus re-classification in 1753.

[19][20][21] The species is known only from the eastern slopes of Mount Qasioun north of Damascus, part of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range.

[9][13][22] It grows on calcareous soils in association with low alpine vegetation and grasses, at an altitude of 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level.

[1][2] When first described by Mouterde in 1966, the species was assessed as "at risk" due to human collection of the rhizomes and the selling of the flowers in the roadside trade.

[1] The species was reported by Chaudhary in 1975 to be in danger of extinction,[5][2][6] and although it was declared 'extinct' by some sources in 2013,[23] as of 2016 it is assessed as Critically endangered by the IUCN.

[1][22][24] In northern Europe or the US, it needs to be planted under glass within a greenhouse or glasshouse, in an alkaline soil (with limestone chippings).

[25] Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting.