September 17, 2024 8:36 pm
Wild or Cultivated The Beauty of Plants is Endless
This post is the start of a series of posts about plants.
Pages will be added as time permits.
This should not be regarded as a reference guide.
Several plants may be highlighted per page, pages will be linked.
The first in this category is Iris.
I like the variants, multitude of vibrant colors and they are relatively easy to find even when not cultivated.
Bearded Iris
This Bearded Iris flower was found in the well-manicured gardens at High Park, Toronto.
It has a rhizome root structure and a variety of petal colors. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/rhizome
A tall single stemmed perennial iris [Iris..from the Greek goddess of the rainbow- hence the multi-colored varieties found]
The petals form in two groups, the crown is called the standard, the 3 petals that bend downward are called falls.
Minor toxicity, keep pets away from roots and sap.
The Northern Blue Flag iris was found at Grenadier Pond in High Park. Toronto, at the pond edge.
northern blue flag iris
Quebec, Canada has adopted this iris as its provincial flower.
It has other common names; Purple Iris, Blue Flag, Poison Iris and others.
This rhizome rooted perennial is tall at almost 3 feet.
The wide blade-like leaves, roots, seeds and sap are poisonous. [low toxicity]
Indigenous people would use the dried long leaves as weave material for baskets, mats and blinds.
Yellow Flag iris.
yellow mellow!
The Yellow Flag iris flourishes in very wet or aquatic conditions but can tolerate dry times.
Can be found in roadside ditches, frequently seen in large clumps as they can spread rapidly and have proven difficult to eradicate when warranted.
This plant was found at Grenadier Pond in High Park, Toronto.
Can grow quite tall, to 5 plus feet.
Also known as Water Iris.
Native to Europe.
As with the above two iris species, the roots and leaves are poisonous.
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