Bearded Iris

Bearded Iris on waste ground, Abbotsbury, Dorset

Flower of a naturalised plant

Close-up of beard - yellow at base

Cultivated flower
Iris germanica
Iridaceae
May to June
It is grown in gardens throughout the country.
The naturalised escape is widely scattered throughout,
but is most common in the South and East Anglia.
See the BSBI distribution map for Bearded Iris
It is a neophyte, which has been grown in gardens for over
1000 years, but has been known in the wild only since the
early 1900s.
It has been become naturalised in relic gardens and from
throw-outs and deliberate plantings.
It grows on waste ground and by roads and railways.
Bearded Iris is a rhizomatous, perennial herb, growing up
to 1m.
The flowers are up to 10cm across and range from blue
to purple.
The beard is white becoming yellow, especially at the
base.
Leaves are wide for an Iris, at up to 6cm.
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