It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountains of Tien Shan, Pamir and Altai, in Afghanistan and Turkestan (now part of Uzbekistan).

It has long, sword-shaped grey-green leaves, slender stem, and 2 to 3 white, cream, pale green or light purple flowers which are veined with maroon, chocolate brown or dark purple.

[5][6] It also has long secondary roots, the fleshy, thin stolons,[2][7] that penetrate into the ground for minerals to feed the plant.

[2] It has linear,[8] ensiform (sword-shaped),[5][10] glaucous leaves[4][5][11] which are grey green,[7] and are slightly tinged with purple at the base.

[2][12] They are shorter than the flowering stem,[7][8] and fade soon after the blooming period time has ended.

[13][14][15] The stems also have 2 spathes (leaves of the flower bud), that are membranous, green and ventricose (swollen or inflated),[4][5] They can be 9–10 cm (4–4 in) long.

[4][5] The stems (and the branches) hold between 2 and 3 flowers,[3][16][17] blooming in late spring and early summer,[2][3][12] between April and May,[8][16][18] or between May and June.

[2][3][13] They are creamy white,[2][8][17] ivory,[14] yellow-white,[5] or olive green,[5][9][22] or light purple.

[4] The oblong and erect,[5][12][25] standards are 7–11 cm (3–4 in) long, similar in colour to the falls.

[4] It has a brown, oblong and 4.5 cm (2 in) long style branch, which has scalloped lobes.

[9] After the iris has flowered, in August,[7] it produces an oblong seed capsule, which is 3.8–5 cm (1–2 in) long.

[5] As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.

[4] The iris was also published with an illustration in 'Gartenflora' table 766 in 1873,[2][4][5] and later by John Gilbert Baker in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, vol.

[34] Iris korolkowii is native to temperate areas of central Asia.

[36] It is found within the Tien Shan,[7][12][37] (including the valleys and gorges of the Talas Alatau,[19]) Pamir and Altai mountain ranges.

[27] It prefers positions in full sun,[7] with at least 3 or more hours of direct sunlight every day.

[20] In northern regions (including Russia), the iris will suffer from insufficient sun and warmth and from an excess of moisture, which means the plant dies within 2 or 3 years.

[5] Sir Michael Foster published in the Gardeners' Chronicle 14 July, p36 in 1888, four varieties.

[1] Other known cultivars include; 'Korolkowii Atropurpurea', 'Korolkowii Brown And Green', 'Korolkowii Incarnata', 'Korolkowii Pink' and 'Korolkowii Polyploid Form'.