This native perennial has leaves which are sword-like and up to 2 feet long (B). The flowers are 3-4 inches across, deep blue-violet, with yellow and white markings (A). It has flower parts in sets of threes (B). This strikingly beautiful flower is easily identified as the only native blue iris in our area. Another iris sometimes blooms at Jim Baldwin’s abandoned farmstead on History Trail; they are planted varieties.
Grows in moist ditches and along streams and ponds, flowering in May and June. In Fontenelle Forest, uncommon off Gifford Memorial Boardwalk where it joins with Pond Trail. Other scattered floodplain populations flower only when flooding or very heavy rain has occurred during the spring.
Native Americans dried the poisonous roots and made an infusion to cure earache. They also used small amounts of the roots to induce vomiting. Other common names include Virginia Iris and Southern Blue Flag.
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