Freshwater Wetlands/ Larger Blue Flag

COMMON NAME: Large Blue Flag

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Iris versicolor

FAMILY: Iridaceae

COMMUNITY: Freshwater Wetland

STATUS: Native

LIFESPAN: Perennial

HEIGHT: 8 to 32 inches

FLOWERING TIME: Late May to late July

FRUITING TIME: July to August

DISTRIBUTION: Newfoundland to Virginia ~ Statewide in NJ, outside the central Pine Barrens

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Large Blue Flag is similar in appearance to garden iris with gray-green swordlike leaves and prominently veined downcurved violet sepals. Flowers long-pedicled and perfumed.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Large Blue Flag, like all irises, is poisonous.  The 1998 edition of the Physicians’ Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines reports that the juice of the fresh plant has a severely irritating effect upon skin and mucous membranes.  If taken internally, it can lead to vomiting, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea.  Severe  inflammation occurs following mucous membrane contact.  Plants in this family are used in homeopathic dilution’s, as a constituent of combination preparations and in various tea mixtures. Native Americans used blue flag to treat sore throat and as a powerful cathartic.  The crushed root infusion (medicine prepared by steeping the flower or leaves in a liquid without boiling) was taken to induce paralysis, as an emetic and at menses to induce conception. “Iris” was the Greek name of the plant and referred to the nymph Iris who personified the rainbow and appeared in the Iliad as a messenger form the gods to men.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, iris, with the meaning “rainbow”, first appears in English in 1480 and was the colored portion of the eye first in 1525.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails.  This information is presented for educational purposes.