[2] It has short, thick rhizomes that creep across the ground to eventually create dense clumps.

It has grey-green leaves,[3][5][6] that are linear, with 3–5 veins and grass-like in form, they can grow up to between 25–60 cm (10–23.5 in) long and 5–8 mm wide.

[8][4][6] The stem has 2–3 green, lanceolate (sword-like), spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which measure 6–16 cm long and 8-10mm wide.

[3] As artificial floating islands (AFIs) have been used to help purify water in the restoration of the Beijing Wetlands.

Several plants were studied in 2011, including soft stem bulrush (Scirpus validus Vahl), spiked loosestrlfe (Lythrum salicaria Linn.

In 2012, Lythrum salicaria, Typha angustifolia and Iris wilsonii were studied to see which plants were ideal in removing nitrogen and phosphorus in lightly polluted urban landscape water.

[12] In 2014, Iris wilsonii was tested with Phragmites australis, Suaeda salsa, Artemisia anethifolia Weber, Salicornia europaea, and Spartina anglica, to compare rates of the removal of high concentrations of chloride in the polluted waters of Tianjin City.

[15][16] The Latin specific epithet wilsonii refers to the 19th century botanist and explorer, Ernest Wilson.

It was found by Wilson, in Western Hupeh in China, growing in the grasslands near Fang Hsien, at about 7,000 ft. above sea-level.

[15] This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, as well as being a tentatively agreed name.

[15] It is found in western China,[5][8] within the provinces of Gansu, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan.

[3][15] Large colonies are found on the grasslands of Mount Hengduan in the 'Lamagetou Nature Reserve' in Sichuan.

[20] Iris wilsonii will tolerate temperatures of up to – 15 degrees C.[4] But may survive lower if protected or well mulched in winter.

[10] Although they like wet soils, but if the rhizome and roots are exposed to constant moisture (all year), it is likely to suffer from fungal infections.

[9] It is often used within plant breeding to produce a yellow flowers, instead of white or blue forms (common in the sibericae series).

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