Iris versicolor L.
Blue flag, harlequin blueflag, large blue flag, northern blue iris
Blue flag is an iris native to eastern North America. Many cultivars are availble as well.
Plants: 4–31″ (10–80 cm), spreading by rhizomes into clumps up to 2½′ (76 cm) around.
Leaves: Alternate, linear to lanceolate, basal, green to gray-green, smooth-edged, and 4–31″ long ⨉ ⅜–1″ wide (10–80 ⨉ 1–3 cm).
Flowers: Deep blue to purple, or rarely white. Three sepals are ovate to reniform, 1½–2½ ⨉ ⅝–1½″ (4–7.2 ⨉ 1.8–4 cm), narrowing abruptly near the base. There is a greenish or greenish-yellow patch at the base of each sepal. Six petals are much shorter than the sepals, ¾–1¾ ⨉ ⅛–¾″ (2–5 cm ⨉ 5–20 mm). Three petals are atop the sepals, and three more between. Petals are blue-purple, becoming deeper red-purple along their centers and toward the bases. Flowers appear from May to June.
Fruits: Ovoid capsules ½–2″ (1.5–6 cm) split when dry, releasing two or more dark brown D-shaped seeds ⅛–¼″ (5–8 mm) in size.
Habitats: Sedge meadows, marshes, and along streambanks and shores.
Online References:
Seeds · 10/16/2016 · Guilder Pond, Mount Everett, Mt. Washington, Massachusetts · ≈ 3 × 2½″ (7.6 × 7.3 cm) 
6/5/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm) 
6/19/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 5 × 4″ (13 × 10 cm) 
6/15/2025 · Morse Mountain Preserve, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 7 × 6″ (18 × 14 cm) 
6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm) 
6/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts 
6/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 6″ (13 × 14 cm) 
Probably a cultivar. · 5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 5″ (13 × 13 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
6/22/2023 · Florida Lake Park, Freeport, Maine 
Seeds · 10/16/2016 · Guilder Pond, Mount Everett, Mt. Washington, Massachusetts · ≈ 3 × 4½″ (7.7 × 11 cm) 
6/19/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 2 × 2½′ (63 × 87 cm) 
6/2/2010 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts 
6/19/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Liliopsida | Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family |
| Subclass | Liliidae | Includes lilies, orchids, and many others |
| Order | Asparagales | A diverse group that includes asparagus |
| Family | Iridaceae | Iris family—perennial plants that grow from bulbs—also includes crocuses, gladiolas, and the genus Moraea |
| Genus | Iris | Named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow |
| Species | versicolor | “Variously colored” |
Iris versicolor description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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