Iris

Genus: Iris

The Iris is a genus of flowering plants with delicate, showy flowers ranging in color from the blue, lavender, and purple spectrum to the gold, yellow and white spectrum. Some species of iris have also been bred with pink and apricot shades.

The most fascinating characteristic of irises is their perfectly balanced shape and design. At the end of a long straight green stem are six-lobed flowers with three large petals drooping downwards, which are actually large sepals in the same color as the flower, and three smaller, slightly cupped pedals standing upright. Inside the long drooping pedals is a contrasting color which pops against the velvety color of the main pedals. For example, in deep purple irises, the long purple pedals feature a punch of yellow and white. Some smaller iris species feature all six lobes pointing straight outwards.

Irises typically grow from a creeping rhizome, while the bulbous iris species grows from bulbs similarly to other bulbous flowers such as lilies, daffodils, and tulips. Therefore, they typically hibernate in the winter and bloom in the spring.

The intricate beauty and sensuousness of irises have inspired many artists to capture their images in paintings. Irises have been most notably represented by the artists Georgia O'Keeffe, Frank DuMond, Vincent Van Gogh, and Ogata Korin of Japan.