Iris Virginica

Iris Virginica

This lovely, delicate iris is native to the United States and Canada, from the east coast to the middle states as far west as Texas. It can reach 2 to 2.5 feet with light blue to violet flowers borne on naked stems in late spring. The falls are marked with white and can be crested with yellow frill. The leaves which are strap-like and have a pronounced midrib in the center are not as upright; they may lay over or fall into the water. Iris Virginica is a new typeface in development from the Dutch type foundry Font Bureau. This idea of “half-script” is one in a long line of typographic fads that have swept the world over the recent decades. Its revolutionary approach is to liberate letterforms from the grid and explore form and function. A revival of a typeface from previous centuries can be just as interesting and captivating as a new font.

Iris

It does best grown in very wet, humusy to sandy soil and in boggy acidic areas in full sun. It should not be permitted to dry out in the growing season and is natural in wild areas with standing water. These iris may be left in water over winter and can be used in pond borders of up to 6 inches deep. It will tolerate light shade in the warmer regions of its range. Southern Flag Iris spreads slowly by rhizomes which can be divided for propagation as clumps form.Iris virginica var. virginica has a light blue to deep violet, rarely white, flower. The sepals are spreading with darker blue to purple veins with a light yellow pubescent signal. Southern blue flag iris flowers in late spring. Flowers are a one- to two-flowered inflorescence on a barely- or non-branching stem. The plants are up to two feet tall. The weakly arching green leaves are two to three feet long and are burgundy colored at the base. The leaves arise from shallowly rooted, large, branching rhizomes that can form large clumps.

Iris virginica var. shrevei has a light blue to deep violet, rarely white, flower. The sepals are spreading with darker blue to purple veins with a light yellow pubescent signal. Shreve’s iris flowers in late spring. Flowers are a one- to two-flowered inflorescence on a stem that has one to two branches. The plants are up to three feet tall. The weakly arching green leaves are two to three feet long and are burgundy colored at the base. The leaves arise from shallowly rooted, large, branching rhizomes that can form large clumps.Iris virginica var. shrevei, Southern Blue Flag Iris, usually grows in large patches that expand outward from rhizomes. It is 2’-3’ high with the leaves on the flower stem growing slightly taller than the flower. Bloom time is from late spring to early summer. The bloom color is somewhat variable, but is most often a medium to pale blue violet. There is a yellow blotch on the lower sepal where it joins a small upper lip; a mark that helps to distinguish the flower from those of Iris versicolor, Northern Blue Flag Iris. (Source: www.prairiemoon.com)