16 Irises


There can be no flower with a stronger association to France, than the Iris.


Over the spring months this perennial herb adorns our gardens, steadfastly re-flowering irrespective of anything the winter has done to discourage its survival. Irises casually appear in places that no one could have intentionally planted them; hidden amongst rocky outcrops, gathered on roadsides and attempting to strangle the occasional telegraph or gate post.


I


rises live for many years reproducing aggressively. The flowers, although typically purple, come in many


different colours and display three points which are said to symbolize faith, wisdom and valour.


To help encourage healthy plants the rhizomes need to be divided and transplanted every 3 - 5 years, to avoid over-crowding. This transplanting can take place at any time of year, but it’s preferable to carry out this operation after they have bloomed, in late July, August or September.


So how did this iconic plant rise to its regal heights? What made it so popular with the rulers of the early world? What caught the imagination of the impressionist painters and what eventually drove us all (many years ago) to ‘Athena’ to buy posters?


The history of the iris both real and mythological is lengthy and convoluted, reaching back, as it does, almost 7000 years. In Greek mythology, the Goddess Iris (whose name meant ‘rainbow’) led dead women’s souls to the Elysian Fields (the mythological resting place of the honourable and valiant). The Iris, thereby, became a symbol of faith; purple irises were planted


on the graves of women. 3500 years ago images of Irises decorated both the walls of the Minoan palace at Knossos and the Egyptian palaces of Thutmosis III.


To understand the part played by the iris in French history it is necessary to realise is that the emblematic Fleur-de-Lis actually represents a stylised version of the Iris pseudacorus. The Fleur-de-Lis has played a huge part in the heraldry of France, it has been a status symbol and an indicator of style.


This stylised image of an iris was promoted on two occasions on its rise to becoming a symbol of the French monarchy. The first concerned Clovis (first King of the Franks) who in 496 AD reportedly rejected the three toads that emblazoned his banner, replacing them instead with the fleur-de-lis. His Christian wife Queen Clotilda had pleaded with him to reject his heathen ways (including the toad symbols) he resisted until he faced an overwhelming threat from the army of a Germanic tribe. At this crisis point he promised his wife that if he triumphed he’d admit to the supremacy of her God. He was triumphant and as the toads were banished the fleur-de-lis took their place.


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