![]() ![]() It is on New Hampshire’s list of prohibited invasive upland plants and classified as a noxious weed by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, meaning that its sale, movement, and distribution are prohibited. The yellow iris is in direct competition with green arrow arum, a major food source for wood ducks. Masses of yellow irises crowd out native vegetation, including other irises, cattails, and rushes that provide food and cover for ducks, muskrats, and other wildlife. Now, yellow iris is a growing scourge, ranking high on many states’ lists of invasive plants. Because of its adaptability, yellow iris was formerly used to control erosion and to absorb metals and nutrients in wastewater treatment facilities, further aiding its spread. Its seeds (several hundred per plant) can float great distances and withstand drought and high acidity and salinity. It also propagates easily, forming a mat of branching rhizomes that grows so dense that it prevents other plant seeds from germinating. Like many invasive species, Iris pseudacorus tolerates varied soil and climate conditions. It escaped its perennial bed boundaries, establishing itself in nearly every U.S. Its showy, lemon-yellow beauty made it a favorite garden bloom, and it was likely imported from Europe and the British Isles as an ornamental in the early 19th century. The yellow – or yellow flag – iris is native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia. Hummingbirds and some butterfly species visit irises to feed on the nectar. Each flower has three petals that give clear directional signals to pollinating bees: a yellow patch at the base and dark veins leading to the center. ![]() They have long, pointed leaves and a peduncle, or stalk, that holds three to five deep blue to purple flowers. The most common are the native blue iris or blue flag iris ( Iris versicolor) and the invasive yellow iris ( Iris pseudacorus).įrom May through July, blue irises bloom in forested wetlands and along the edges of ponds and streams. Most of North America’s nearly 30 native iris species are found in the southeastern states and on the Pacific coast but a few irises grow in the northern woodlands. Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.Irises, with their large, exotic-looking flowers waving atop tall stems, are among the showiest early summer blooms.Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. All parts may cause discomfort if ingested.Propagate by division from mid-summer to early autumn.A welcomed addition to beds and borders, cottage gardens, bog gardens, rain gardens, water gardens and near streams or ponds, where it will provide excellent color contrast.Performs best in full sun or part shade, in acidic, moist to wet, humus-rich soils.Clumps will spread steadily over time to form colonies. This marginal aquatic plant is also a lovely addition to moist borders. Very handsome in and out of bloom, Iris versicolor is a central landscape plant for the water garden, near ponds and streams. The falls feature a conspicuously veined white basal patch and a yellow blotch. across (10 cm), adorned with bold purple veining. Branched stems rise from the clump in late spring to early summer, each of them boasting 3-5 bluish-purple flowers, 4 in. Noted for its distinct upright habit and striking flowers, Iris versicolor (Blue Flag) is a rhizomatous perennial forming a clump of narrow, upright or gracefully recurving, sword-shaped, blue-green leaves. ![]()
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