Iris versicolor is an extremely attractive emergent perennial (its base can remain under permanent inundation). The leaves are 1" wide, sword-like, can grow to 3', and make a strong vertical statement. Each plant will bear several large flowers that are up to 4" across, atop erect stems that extend above the foliage. Bloom color will vary within shades of blue, purple or violet, with deeply veined sepals that are yellow at the base. It owes its specific epithet "versicolor" and common name "harlequin" to this multi-color characteristic. It produces large seeds that are densely packed in 1 1/2" long capsules. Its useful for anchoring the edges of ponds, for naturalizing wet areas, and as a beautiful addition to water gardens.
Harlequin blueflag is a moisture-loving, cold-climate iris found in wetlands, marshes and along stream banks from Newfoundland down to Virginia, and as far west as Minnesota. The base of the plant can remain permanently submerged up to a depth of 6". It prefers rich, loamy, acidic, wet soil, but is an easy plant to grow in most gardens, provided the soil remains consistently moist. It tolerates part-shade but will produce more spectacular flowers in full sun. Iris versicolor has a clumping habit and will slowly spread by means of fibrous rhizomes. Divide every few years to maintain vigorous bloom production.
Space plants 18"-24" on center.
Iris versicolor will form large clumps via thick, creeping rhizomes. With a spread of up to 3', this spacing should provide full coverage.
Combine harlequin blueflag with other water-loving, flowering species, like Chelone glabra (white turtlehead), Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed), Eupatorium perfoliatum (common boneset), Doellingeria umbellata (parasol whitetop), and Eutrochium fistulosum (hollow Joe-Pye weed). To support the flowers and increase biodiversity, add in sedges, like narrow-bladed Carex scoparia (broom sedge) or Carex muskingumensis (Muskingum sedge) with its palm-like foliage. For erosion control and sites with lots of space, add in some of the wide-bladed, wetland sedges, such as Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge), Carex crinita (fringed sedge), Carex comosa (longhair sedge), Carex squarrosa (squarrose sedge), or Carex stricta (tussock sedge). Some of these sedges can colonize extensively under optimal conditions, so make sure you read their profiles and choose accordingly.
Iris versicolor is similar to, but should not be confused with, Iris virginica, which has a native range that extends south to Florida. The rhizomes of harlequin blueflag produce dense mats that are useful in preventing soil erosion. A powerful extract is produced from the roots and used medicinally to treat liver disorders amongst other ailments. These roots should not be consumed. Confusing them with edible varieties has been known to have dire consequences, including serious liver damage; hence the common names "liver lily" and "poison flag."
BUY MORE, SAVE MORE
Recorded County Distribution: USDA data.
CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, ID |
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain | OBL |
Eastern Mountains and Piedmont | OBL |
Great Plains | OBL |
Midwest | OBL |
Northcentral and Northeast | OBL |
Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast | OBL |
MAP OF WETLAND DELINEATION REGIONS
Code |
Status |
Designation |
Comment |
OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Almost always occur in wetlands |
FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands |
FAC |
Facultative |
Hydrophyte |
Occur in wetlands and non-wetlands |
FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands |
UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Almost never occur in wetlands |
Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
Class | Liliopsida | Monocotyledons |
Subclass | Liliidae | |
Order | Liliales | |
Family | Iridaceae | Iris family |
Genus | Iris | iris |
Species | Iris versicolor | harlequin blueflag |
Northern blue flag, blue flag, American blue flag, dagger flower, dragon flower, flag lily, liver lily, poison flag, snake lily, water flag , water Iris
Sizes info
Shipping is free on all plants orders!
Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week.
Shipping plugs:
Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed.
When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. They will straighten out within a couple of days. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. They’ll fill back in in no time.
After receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.
Although we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water.
Planting plugs:
We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. They are not in the traditional sense. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone.
We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before.
Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.