Iris versicolor

The Blue Flag Iris is a showy perennial wildflower. This plant may also be known by the common name Harlequin Blue Flag. The leaves are light green, sword-shaped, slightly arched or erect, and appear growing out as a cluster around the base of the plant. The attractive blue flowers start to bloom in the early spring, emerging from a tall flowering stalk that can reach up to 1 m. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. The seeds are also beneficial to wildlife species, like birds and small mammals.

Blue Flag Iris grows best in wet to moist conditions with full to partial sunlight exposure. It prefers shallow, rocky, humus, or loam soil types. It is tolerant of periodically flooded areas. This wildflower can be naturally found in marshes, swamps, wet meadows, and along lake shorelines.

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Scientific Name: Iris versicolor
Type: Ground Cover
Height: 0.5 m
Spread: 1 m
Moisture Level: moist, wet
Light Conditions: full sun, part sun
Soil Conditions: loam, rocky
Zone (Hardiness of Canada):