Blue Flag
Iris versicolor
Blue flag iris blooms in a rain garden near Spa Creek in Annapolis, Md., on May 31, 2019. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) blooms in a conservation landscape at a residential complex in Annapolis, Md., on May 7, 2019. The native plant is part of a conservation landscape project led by Spa Creek Conservancy and planted in 2016. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Blue Flag, a close up (Bob Gutowski/Flickr)
Blue flag is a native perennial plant with delicate violet flowers that bloom in spring.
Appearance
Blue flag has violet-blue flowers with delicate, arching petals that gradually narrow toward the center of the flower. Its petals have purple veins and a white and yellow base. Flowers bloom May to June. Its leaves are long and grass-like. Blue flag grows to 3 feet tall.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
After blooming, flowers mature into a greenish-brown seed capsule. Seed capsules eventually split open, allowing seeds to scatter. Blue flag also reproduces asexually when underground rhizomes spread.
Did You Know?
- Blue flag attracts bees and hummingbirds.
- The roots and rhizomes of irises are extremely poisonous to humans and animals.
- Native American tribes used irises medicinally. Some tribes also used the outermost fibers of the leaves to create twine.
- Powdered iris root smells like violets and can be found in some perfumes and potpourri.
Sources and Additional Information
- Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- PLANTS Profile for Iris versicolor – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Harlequin Blue Flag Iris – U.S. Forest Service
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Iris versicolor – The University of Texas at Austin
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Size
3 feet tall -
Habitat
Found in wetlands, marshes, swamps, wet meadows, shorelines, stream banks and other wet areas. Grows in full to partial sun.
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Range
Grows throughout most of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, except in West Virginia.
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Status
Stable