Iris : Flower Facts

Meaning

Wisdom, hope, my compliments

Origins

Iris means "rainbow" in Greek. Garden irises come in a broad range of colours, but cut irises are mostly blue, white and yellow like the summer sky. Native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, irises are bulbous perennials. The popular blooms are members of the Iridaceae family that also includes freesia, and take their name from the Greek goddess who transported messages between mortals and the Mount Olympus deities. Interestingly most of our lovely spring flowers are related to each other, and grow from bulbs or other forms of underground rhizomes. In some languages, irises are called flags or sword flags, relating them to symbols of heraldry and royalty, hence the original "Fleur de lys" of heraldry. In Japan the shape is seen to express heroism and the blue colour refers to blue blood, so irises play a major role in their spring festival for boys. The popularity of these irises over the centuries has been demonstrated in the still life paintings of the Dutch flowers, and more recently has inspired Vincent van Gogh. The Iris is the National Emblem of France.

Flower Availability and Vase Life

Although traditionally considered a spring bloom, many irises are available all year round from growers. Irises are delicate flowers, and have one of the shortest cut flower vase lives at just 3-6 days.

Care and Handling

Irises are thirsty flowers, and suffer from dehydration and water stress so process them immediately upon receipt to guard against this. Remove foliage that will fall below the water line and re-cut iris stem before placing them in a vase.

Keep irises in a cool location away from drafts and excessive heat to maximize their longevity.

Florist Design Uses

Because of their distinctive shapes, irises are frequently used as form flowers in floral designs. Their height also makes them ideal for use as line flowers to help establish designs' shapes and sizes.

Colours: White, yellow, blue, purple, and their throats are usually yellow.