Bearded Iris - A Gallery of Flowers

The Bearded Iris is an amazingly beautiful flower, in my opinion. I am always amazed at the intricate details and colors that I see in these beauties. What makes the bearded iris that I have planted, even more special to me is that they were given to me by my great Aunt Betty. She is an amazing woman and loves to share her irises with others. The story of these purple/blue irises goes way back. They have traveled through many states, including Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, and Missouri. Those are just the states I know about. Its hard to look at one of the bulbs of these iris, which looks like just an ugly dirt clod with stringy protrusions. They are really just the roots, but they often look so unattractive, and have dirt clinging to them. They may only appear to be dead, but these contain the key to the life of these amazingly romantic an beautiful flower.

Some Interesting things to know about Bearded Iris

*The history goes way back to Greek Mythology. Iris was the Greek god of the rainbow, it is said. With all the colors and varying hues, we can see why! There is a legend that tells of Iris walking on a path through the sky, like a rainbow. To the Egyptians, iris have been considered a symbol of power and majesty.

* Bearded Iris have those little "beards", or little bits of furry looking parts on their petals. Upon closer inspection, they can be clearly seen and will amaze you all the more with their beautiful design.

* Bearded Iris are great heirloom plants, that have been cultivated and given a lot of attention to. Because of this we have an even great color spectrum and combination of colors than ever thought possible.

* Bearded Iris can be amazingly easy to grow, and even can thrive during a drought. They don't need an extra cold season to bloom well either.

* These iris can grow from anywhere between 8 - 28 inches tall.

Much more can be said of these amazing beauties, but the goal with this hub is to just share my photos of bearded more than anything else. On these photos, I have checked the box for enabling showing the photo in its larger size. If you click on the photo, it can be seen larger very likely, so that you can see the "beards", or little furry parts on these flowers.

Photo 1 - A very deep purple on the bottom, with super white, white petals on top. The color of the bearded part is easy to see as it stands out in a golden orange color. A thing of beauty, at least to me!

Photo 2 - This iris really knocks me out. The color alone is one I almost can't describe other than a pink/purple/lavender, yet it still doesn't seem quite fitting. The white frilly "bearded" part is there as well. I am always amazed by these flowers every time I see them.

Photo 3 - A rich burgundy and golden yellow color are just amazing together. Evidently there is no "true red" color in irises, which was another neat fact to find out about. The reds, pinks and burgundies we do see are just lovely to me though anyway. It is surprising there are no reds, but not really necessary when you look at all there is.

Photo 4 - This is the one my Great Aunt Betty passed along to me when I left California and moved to the Midwest. They looked like dead bulbs, and more like dirt clods. I thought I had waited to long to plant them. This is what came up! I simply love them. They are an amazing periwinkle blue color.

Photo 5 - An apricot color paired with a deep rich red wine color. This one is a knock out, in my opinion. So uniquely colored, its just amazing to me to find these occurring in nature.

Photo 6 - More yellow and burgundy bearded iris among many others in an iris garden. You can see them from a little bit more of a distance here.

Photo 7 - This is the same kind of iris as seen in photo 4, but you can see more at a different angle here. I like the angle because you can see the curves of the iris, the classy design almost. I love the little yellow "beard" you see here too.

Photo 8 - A chocolate brown iris with a burnt orange or rust colored "beard." How nature and scientists came up with some of these colors is beyond me, but I am so impressed. Nature will never cease to amaze me.

Below, I share some more iris flower photos, that are given with special permission to use from a friend. I loved seeing how iris flowers were captured through the eye of someone else. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!