Louisiana iris wildflower; photo by 澎湖小雲雀 on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike).
Official State Wildflower of Louisiana
The Louisiana iris (Iris giganticaerulea) was designated the official state wildflower in 1990 (Louisiana's state flower is the magnolia blossom). All State Flowers
The iris has sword-like foliage and grows to 5 or 6 feet. It has a wider color range than any other iris (blue, purple, yellow, pink, white, and shades of brownish-red).
The Louisiana iris grows wild mostly in marshy locations in coastal Louisiana, and for about 100 miles inland, but also adapts to almost any climate and is popular as an ornamental flower. The great abundance of wild iris blooming in the spring has been an inspiration for artists in New Orleans. The official symbol of Louisiana is the fleur-de-lis; a stylized iris used in decoration and as a heraldic symbol.
