It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial of eastern Asia, native to China and Korea.

[10][9][7] They appear in early March, they then elongate after flowering up to 40 cm (16 in) long, reaching a maximum height by June.

[13][10][9] It has one terminal (at the top of the stem) flower,[3] in spring to early summer,[8][4] in April or May.

[6] After the iris has flowered, it produces a globose (spherical) seed capsule between June and July.

[6][18] It is written as 小黄花鸢尾 in Chinese script and known as xiao huang hua yuan wei in China.

[20] It has the common names of small yellow-flower iris in Chinese English.

[22] It was originally published as Iris minuta by Franchet and Savatier in 'Enumeratio Plantarum in Japonia Sponte Crescentium' 2: Vol.42 page521 in 1877.

[6][8][23] It was later illustrated as Iris minute in Curtis's Botanical Magazine Issue 8293 in 1910.

[19] Iris minutoaurea is native to the temperate regions of eastern Asia.

[6] It has been listed in the flora of vascular plants in the Chilgapsan Provincial Park of Korea.

[30] In Liaoning, China, it was listed as an endemic vascular species, along with Acontium faurieri, Artemisia chienshanica, Betula ceratoptera, Caragana litwinowii, Iris kobayashii, Phragmites australis and others.

[31] Iris minutoaurea has been cultivated in UK, but it is rare,[32] and considered difficult to grow.

[13][5] It likes to grow in humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to acidic soils.

[5][9] It does not like positions that get a lot of water,[13][5] preferring well drained, rock gardens and scree-like slopes.