The Iris is one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring, making its appearance in late March or early April, just after the daffodils and crocuses have opened the new season. They are perennials that have tall, erect flowering stems and feature flowers that consist of petals that are specifically designed to not only look aesthetically pleasing to us, but also are constructed to form an ideal landing platform for pollinating insects.

Irises also have a number of practical employments. They are used in producing perfumes, the distilled scent being very similar to Violets. Essential oils derived from the flower are also used in aromatherapy, and their scent said to have a sedative effect. For that reason, Iris oil was traditionally used to sooth mothers in childbirth, as well as help quiet their wailing babies.

The beautiful azure flowers also have a diverse and colorful symbolic history. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Fleur de Lis, a stylized Iris, which has for hundreds of years been the floral emblem of France. It was patterned after a white Iris which graced the walls of its native city of Florence, Italy. A white Iris on a red background was the symbol of the city until the Medici family, to signal a change in political power, reversed the colors, making the white one red and setting in motion a centuries-long breeding program to produce a hybrid red Iris. Catherine de Medici carried this symbol of Florence to Paris when she married King Henry II of France, in 1547. The most famous of Irises then acquired its new name, Fleur-de-Lis. In the United States, the flowery symbol can be found in a highly unlikely spot: on the helmets of the New Orlean Saints professional footbal team.

Even without this royal pedigree, it is easy to see why the Iris is a favorite flower the world over, and a particularly lovely harbinger of spring in the Conservatory Garden.