+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ## virginia iris {#virginia-iris .Title-Header}                       |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| *Iris virginica* L.                                                   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Plant Symbol = IRVI                                                   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

### ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.792361111111111in" height="4.197916666666667in"}

##### Alternate Names

Blue flag, southern blue flag, blue iris

##### Warning: [The roots of Virginia iris are toxic when taken internally, without sufficient preparation.]{.underline} 

##### 

##### Uses

*Ethnobotanic*: The Cherokee and other tribes in the southeastern United
States are known to have used Virginia iris for its medicinal
properties. The root was pounded into a paste that was used as a salve
for skin. An infusion made from the root was used to treat ailments of
the liver, and a decoction of root was used to treat "yellowish urine."
Virginia iris may have been one of the iris species used by the Seminole
to treat "shock following alligator-bite."

##### Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Description

######## General: Iris Family (Iridaceae). Virginia iris is a perennial plant. The slightly fragrant flowers (4 cm long, 7 cm across) consist of 3 horizontal sepals, or "falls," and 3 erect petals. The petals and sepals can vary in color from dark-violet to pinkish-white. The sepals have a splash of yellow to yellow-orange at the crest. Each plant has 2 to 6 flowers that bloom from April to May upon a single, erect, 3-9 dm tall stalk. The stalk is sometimes branched and has a slight zigzag appearance. The plant has 2 to 4 erect or arching, bright green, lance-shaped leaves that are flattened into one plane at the base. Leaves are 1 -- 3 cm wide and are sometimes longer than the flower stalk. The fleshy roots (1-2 cm in diameter) are rhizomes that spread underground. Pale brown, variably shaped seeds are born in three-part fruit capsules (3-6 cm long, 1-2 cm wide). 

*Distribution*: Virginia iris is common along the coastal plain from
Florida to Georgia. For current distribution, please consult the Plant
Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

##### Adaptation

This plant grows in wet areas and sometimes in shallow water in both
fresh and brackish tidal marshes. It can be found in low savannas, thin
woods and open meadows as well as along the edges of swamps, rivers, and
ditches.

##### Establishment

Virginia iris is a sturdy plant that is easy to grow and, once
established, needs very little care. They make lovely additions to the
garden and are ideal for the borders of a garden pond. This is because
the plants prefer moist to wet soils that are high in organic matter.
The plants will grow best in mild climates where they can be grown in
partial shade to full sun. The plants can be grown from seed, but are
easiest to propagate through division. Seeds may be planted in the
autumn, without pretreatment. To propagate by division, divide the
plants either after flowering or when the new leaves just begin to
appear in the spring. Cut the roots so that each piece contains a
portion the feeding roots, the rhizome, and a leaf fan. Place the
rhizomes very near to the surface of the soil when planting. Allow 45 to
60 cm between plants. The plants grow best if divided every three to
five years to thin out the colonies that form.

##### Pests and Potential Problems

Snails are known to eat the leaves.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) 

##### These plant materials are readily available from commercial sources. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under "United States Government." The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading "Department of Agriculture."

##### References

Bailey, L.H. & E.Z. Bailey 1976. *Hortus Third: A concise dictionary of
plants cultivated in the United States and Canada*. Simon and Schuster
Macmillan Co., New York, New York. 1290 pp.

Chapman, A.W. 1883. *Flora of the southern United States: Flowering
plants and ferns*. Second Edition. J. Wilson and Son, Cambridge,
Massachusetts. 698 pp.

Clinton, J. 2001. *Easy living native perennial wildflowers.*
<http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/iri.virgi.htm>

(12 June 2001).

Cullina, W. 2000. *The New England Wild Flower Society guide to growing
and propagating wildflowers in the United States and Canada*. Houghton
Mifflin Company, New York, New York. 322 pp.

Duncan, W. H. & L.E. Foote 1975. *Wildflowers of the southeastern United
States.* University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia. 296 pp.

Godfrey, R.K. & J.W. Wooten 1979. *Aquatic and wetland plants of
southeastern United States*. Vol 1. University of Georgia Press, Athens,
Georgia. 712 pp.

Greene, W.F. & H.L. Blomquist 1953. *Flowers of the south: native and
exotic*. University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, North
Carolina. 208 pp.

Moerman, D.E. 1998 *Native American ethnobotany*. Timber Press,
Portland, Oregon. 927 pp.

Ottensen, C. 1995. *The native plant primer.* Harmony Books, New York,
New York. 354 pp.

Small, J.K. 1933. *Manual of southeastern flora*. University of North
Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 1554 pp.

Smith, A.I. 1979. *A guide to wildflowers of the Mid-south*. Memphis
State University Press, Memphis, Tennessee. 281 pp

Steffek, E.F. 1983. *The new wild flowers and how to grow them*. Timber
Press, Portland, Oregon. 186 pp.

Sturtevant, W.C. 1954. *The Mikasuki Seminole: medical beliefs and
practices*. Doctoral Dissertation, Yale University. 538 pp.

Tiner, R.W. 1993. *Field guide to coastal wetland plants of the
Southeastern United States*. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst,
Massachusetts. 328 pp.

##### Prepared By: 

##### *Diana L. Immel*

##### USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, c/o

##### Environmental Horticulture Department, University of California, Davis, California

##### Species Coordinator: 

##### *M. Kat Anderson*

##### USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, c/o Environmental Horticulture Department, University of California, Davis, California

##### 

##### Edited: 21June2001 jsp; 20may03 ahv

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

*The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA\'s [TARGET
Center](http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm) at 202-720-2600 (voice and
TDD).*

*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or
TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.*

*Read about [Civil Rights at the Natural Resources Convervation
Service](http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/civilrights/).*