Fun Facts

Irises

The ancient Greek plant, the iris, is named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The Egyptians were likely influenced by Greek mythology and used the iris to symbolize their connections to heaven. The Greeks planted irises on women’s graves to encourage the goddess Iris to guide their souls to heaven. In fact, it is the iris that inspired the fleur-de-lis, the National symbol for France.

There are 325 species and 50,000 registered varieties of irises which are divided into two groups, bearded and beardless, which can range from towering heights of 5 feet to tiny dwarfs less then 8 inches tall. The bearded iris looks like it has a tiny beard, with lower petals called “falls” that droop down and are fuzzy and three upright ones called “standards.” Beardless irises obviously lack the fuzzy appearance. The roots of the iris plant have been used medicinally to treat skin infections, syphilis, stomach problems, and dropsy.

While any iris symbolizes royalty, wisdom and valor, the color of the bloom has additional meaning:

Purple – The traditional meaning of purple irises is royalty, but that isn’t its only meaning. Purple can also represent wisdom, respect and compliments.

Blue – Blue irises are symbolic of hope and faith.

Yellow – Yellow irises symbolize passion.

White – White irises express purity and innocence.

In the United States, the iris is the birth flower for February, the flower for the 25th wedding anniversary, and the state flower of Tennessee. Irises make thoughtful gifts for anyone going through a rough time, or an injured or grieving loved one, for you are reminding them to have hope that things will improve (flowermeaning.com).