Iris versicolor - Water Iris

Iris versicolor, native to marshes and waterlogged meadows in eastern North America, is one of the most beautiful plants for ornamental wetland areas, although it can tolerate slightly drier soils where it will show reduced growth. Its spring flowers, with variable colours, are distinguished by their refined, almost heraldic, lines and attractive shades of purple-violet to bluish, tinged with brown and illuminated by a white-streaked yellow throat. They stand out beautifully against a dense clump of narrow, vibrant green foliage. It is a very hardy and low-maintenance perennial, ideal for slightly wild areas of the garden.

Iris versicolor is an herbaceous perennial plant with trailing rhizomes from the Iridaceae family, native to waterlogged areas in southeastern Canada, from Labrador to Virginia. The plant forms initially erect, then spreading, fairly dense clumps, reaching heights of 60 to 90cm (24 to 35in), with no theoretical limit to their lateral spread. Its long lanceolate leaves, shaped like a sword and folded along the central vein, are often tinged with red at the base. The flowering takes place in spring, from May to July. Slender stems emerge from the foliage. Sometimes branched at their tips, they bear 3 to 5 flowers, 5 to 7cm (2 to 3in) in diameter, which are quite flat. Each flower, forming a sort of cross, is composed of 6 floral parts: 3 narrow and spatulate style petals overtop 3 horizontal petals, which are much wider and well-separated. These highly nectar-rich and honey-producing flowers only live for 48 hours, but they are vividly and sumptuously coloured, and are formed abundantly on well-established plants. The fruit is a capsule that opens into 3 compartments containing seeds that are dispersed by water.

With its long vertical leaves and highly sculptural flowers, Iris versicolor adds height and structure to flower beds. It can be planted in large masses or in small clusters (which will spread) along moist banks, or even in large perforated pots with their base submerged in a pond. It can also be integrated into perennial flower beds that, like it, appreciate heavy and moist soils: willows, sedges, gorses, marsh spurge, persicarias, Joe-Pye weeds, or the magnificent Caffre lily (Schizostylis coccinea 'Major'), which blooms in late summer.

This iris is the official floral emblem of Quebec. It is also a medicinal plant with proven properties, widely used in homeopathy and herbal medicine to relieve heartburn and ophthalmic migraines. Its use is strictly reserved for professionals.