northern blue flag

Iris versicolor

The northern blue flag is a beautiful flower with blue and purple petals. It grows in wet places and is loved by many butterflies and bees.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The northern blue flag has striking violet-blue flowers, each with unique yellow and white markings, resembling a flag. Its long, sword-shaped green leaves stand upright, forming dense clumps that often line wetland edges.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassLiliopsidaOrderAsparagalesFamilyIridaceaeGenusIris

northern blue flag

Interesting facts

Its name 'versicolor' means 'variously colored' due to its mixed flower hues!

Native Americans once used parts of this plant for traditional medicines and dyes.

This plant is fantastic at soaking up extra water, helping to clean its wetland home!

You might find its beautiful blooms growing wild even in city park ponds!

Special abilities

Northern blue flag can thrive in waterlogged soil thanks to rhizomes that help it breathe and store nutrients.

Northern blue flag has bright, intricate flowers that guide thirsty insects like bees and butterflies to its sweet nectar.

Northern blue flag contains irritating compounds that make it unappetizing to most animals, keeping them from eating it.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-90 cm
Spread: 30-60 cm
Flower Size: 5-10 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: Moderate
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Bombus impatiens

drinks nectar from its flowers

pollinates

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus

drinks nectar from its flowers

eaten by

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

eats rhizomes in aquatic habitats

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Summer Blooming

Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.

Fragrant Flower

Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.