blue flag

The blue flag iris, also known as Iris versicolor or Iris virginica, is a type of iris native to North America. These plants are characterized by their pale blue to deep violet flowers and typically thrive in moist environments, making them suitable for planting at the edge of ponds or in damp soil.1

The genus Iris, to which the blue flag belongs, encompasses about 300 species of flowering plants, many of which are popular garden flowers. Irises can be either bulbous or rhizomatous, with distinctive flower structures featuring three sepals, three petals, and three pollen-receptive stigma branches. The blue flag iris is one of the most well-known beardless rhizomatous irises, alongside the Japanese and Siberian irises.2