Articles
Rain Garden Plants: Blue Flag Iris
An informative guide with details and pictures of blue flag iris (Iris versicolor).
Updated:
June 23, 2026
Blue flag's swordlike leaves emerge from thick, horizontal rootstock (corm), which is covered with fibrous roots. Flowering stalks produce three to five showy flowers. Minor skin irritation can occur upon contact with seeds or cell sap. Attracts hummingbirds. Foliage is unpalatable to deer and other herbivores.
- Height: 24 to 30 inches
- Bloom color: Blue, purple
- Bloom time: May to June
- Hardiness zones: 4 to 9
- Salt tolerance: Moderate
- Spreading habit: Spreads by self-seeding and extension of rhizomes


Site Conditions
- Sun: Sun/partial shade
- Soil: Organic, acidic (pH < 6.8)
- Hydrologic zones: Wet/moist, 0 to 6 inches, can tolerate complete submergence


Source
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Prepared by Jessica Chou, Jodi Sulpizio, and Constance Schmotzer.











