Iris

To send a purple iris is to indicate wisdom and send your best compliments, while blue invokes feelings of faith and hope, yellow is for passion and white, of course, symbolises purity and innocence.

The iris was named after the Greek Goddess of the rainbow because of the range of bold colours that are sure to grab the attention of anyone passing by. One of Iris’ main duties was leading the souls of women that had passed to the Elysian Fields. In recognition of the passing of a loved one and the faith that they would be chosen to continue their journey in another life, the Greeks planted purple iris on the graves.

Although the iris don’t share the same vase life as flowers such as chrysanthemums and carnations, they will last at least a week with the appropriate care, and many feel they are so beautiful for such a short space of time making them ultimately more desirable.

If you are lucky enough to receive a beautiful flower delivery containing iris it’s important to care for them correctly to ensure you receive the maximum enjoyment from them. There are solutions available for cut flowers specially formulated for those cut from bulbs containing a replacement hormone and a lower sugar content. Many believe keeping the solution cooler than normal will prevent the flowers from fully opening prematurely.

You may be lucky enough to see iris appearing in arrangements toward the latter half of spring, but the iris’ blooming time is in the summer and there are few flowers more summery, the bright blue and bold yellow in one flower bringing sunshine and joy to any room in the house and perfect for all occasions, from thinking of you, to thank you, to sympathy flowers.

If you’d like to grow your own iris, ensure the location you choose has plenty of full sunlight with moist, well-drained soil and are native to central and southern Europe, but their popularity extends as far as the USA, the iris has even become the state flower for the state of Tennessee.