Nuance
Even the iris bends
When a butterfly lights upon it. Amy Lowell
Name
The name iris comes directly from the Greek goddess Iris, a messenger of the god’s. She was the goddess of the rainbow and traveled on the rainbow’s arc carrying messages and commands from the gods to humans. The goddess’s connection to the rainbow recalls the variety of colors that irises come in.
Because of Iris’s relationship to the rainbow she became symbolic of bridges and was seen a connection to the other world. As such, the Greek’s still plant irises on graves and they are often used in funeral arrangements.
History
Irises have a long and rich history. The fleur-de-lis, a stylized representation of the iris, has a long history with French monarchy, beginning with Clovis the I a Frankish king whose empire birthed the French state. Legend claims that when Clovis became a Christian he dreamed of an angel who gave him an iris to commemorate the event. After his dream, Clovis adopted the iris as his emblem.
Fleur-de-lis translates as “flower of Louis” and gained the name when Louis VII, who went on the Second French Crusade in 1147, used the emblem on his banner.
The fleur-de-lis is often used symbolically in art and is often seen as the terminal ends of the arms of the cross, which effectively leads us to the importance of the iris in Christian history. The reason the iris connects with Christian history is that the number three is what the iris is all about. It has three standards and three falls. Three is the number of completion according to Pythagoras and three is the number of the Trinity the center of the Christian faith. As a result, Christian art adopted the fleur-de-lis as a symbol.
As a garden plant, irises moved quickly around the globe often in the path of conquest. Irises were some of the first ornamental plants that came to the New World. They were found on gardening lists for Virginia as early as the 1600’s and soon became the center of many public and private gardens because of their dependability.
Description
Irises are spring flowering plants. The grass-like or sword-like foliage emerges in the early spring from a winter-hardy rhizome. The blossoms come in a variety of sizes and colors but they all have six petals: three standards, the upright petals and three falls, the petals that turn down. There are generally three buds per flower stalk. The flowers last approximately one day, the first flower fading as the second opens and takes its place.
Care
Irises are a hardy plant. However, irises can be affected by aphids, which can be controlled simply by spraying off with water. More persistent aphid issues can be controlled by spraying with insectisidal soap.
Iris borers, weevils, scales, thrips, verbena bud moths, nematodes, voles, slugs, and snails also can be a problem for irises. A clean bed and careful care of the plants can usually prevent these problems. Other problems that can be controlled by a clean bed and good care are a variety of bacteria and fungi. While these pests and problems sound disconcerting, they seldom attack a healthy bed of irises.
Irises are delightful to care for. They require little attention throughout most of the year. The only major attention that they require is division every three to five years. When the irises grow too close or the rhizomes begin to grow tangled lift the plants from the soil. Carefully separate the rhizomes. Cut the foliage down to 6-8 inches. When you replant them make sure the growing portion of the rhizome doesn’t face the adjacent plant, this will prevent them from needing to be divided as often.
Uses
Irises are primarily an ornamental plant. There are some uses for orris, a particular species of iris. Orris root can be used as a fixative in potpourri and is used in ‘dry’ shampoos.
Is it necessary for such a beautiful blossom to be useful? Jurgen Dahl argues that it could replace the rose as queen of the flowers. He suggests that the iris is a good candidate for the title because it merits the title of ‘regal’ (Dahl, 56).
Sources
Dahl, Jurgen. The Curious Gardener. Timber Press, 2002.
Houdret, Jessica. PracticalHerbGarden Hermes House, 2002.
McVicar, Jekka. The Complete Herb Book. Kyle Cathie Limited, 1994.
Treasury of Gardening. Publications International, Ltd. 2001.
Wells, Diana. 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1997.
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