Photos

Yellow Flag Iris - Iris pseudacorus
Family - Iridaceae

A perennial plant growing in shallow water and very damp areas, rivers, ponds or ditches at low altitudes.  Grows to about 1.5m (5ft) high from thick short creeping rhizomes, with sword shaped grey–green sometimes wrinkled leaves.  Robust stems branched at the top carrying clusters of two or three long stalked yellow flowers with a very distinct iris type shape appearing during May to August.

Not native to the UK but widely cultivated, it has escaped and naturalised to the environment, spreading by seed or rhizome growth forming dense clumps that exclude almost all other aquatic vegetation.  It was voted the county flower of Wigtownshire in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife.  It is listed as a Total Control Plant Pest in New Zealand.  Related to the Siberian iris – I. sibirica which has violet–blue flowers and linear leaves.

Yellow Flag Iris - Iris pseudacorus, click for a larger image
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Photos ©2003–
Yellow Flag Iris - Iris pseudacorus, click for a larger image
Click any photo for a larger image
Yellow Flag Iris - Iris pseudacorus, click for a larger image

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