Irises are a gorgeous variety of flowering plants that give rise to some truly amazing flowers within the Iris family. There are over 300 species of Iris flowers around the world, making them not only beautiful but also incredibly diverse.
Most of the species in the Iris family can be found in Asia and Europe, though other species have spread beyond those continents. Irises are pretty versatile, but you’ll find most of them in dry deserts or cold mountains.
Wet and grassy areas could also serve as a host to various species within the Iris family. The flowers of the Iris plant is unlike any other. With its variety in habitat, color, and even shape, there’s so much to learn about these magnificent creations of nature.
If you want to know more about the Iris flower, today is your lucky day, because we’ve compiled a list of the most astonishing facts. The Iris gets its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris — who got her own namesake from the Greek word for rainbow.
The name of the flower is likely a reference to its diversity of hues. You’ll find Iris flowers in a wide range of colors. You could find some in purple, pink, blue, brown, orange, yellow, white, and even in the shade of a fellow perennial; lavender.
While upon first glance you might think that an Iris flower has six petals, it actually only has three. The three petals oriented upwards are the only true petals of the Iris flower. The “petals” oriented downward are actually sepals, sometimes also called falls.
These sepals are sometimes covered with beards which is the common term used to describe the fuzzy appendage of a flower. Most Iris flowers have petals and sepals that all match, but you might find some that have varying colors — making for a rare and beautiful sight.