Native Plant Spotlight | Blue Flag Irises

Native to Riverwoods, Blue Flag Irises (Iris virginica shrevei) are flowers that can be found in moist black soil prairies, soggy meadows and open bottomland woodlands. Bumblebees and long-horned bees cross-pollinate the flowers while butterflies and skippers occasionally visit them.

• Ornamental Value: fragrant blue-violet flowers with patches of yellow bloom from late spring to early summer. Individual flowers are short lived but a colony of plants bloom for about a month. 
• Growing Conditions: prefers partial to full sun in wet to moist rich organic soil. They might not flower in light shade and may decline if they become too dry, but the leaves are rarely affected by disease. Flowers are replaced by capsules containing stacks of seeds that when open can float on water and spread to new areas.
• Mature Size: 2 - 3 feet tall.

Native Tree & Shrub Planting Cost-Share Program

To help restore the ecological health of our woodlands, residents are encouraged to plant native trees, shrubs, flowers and other plant species.  You might qualify for a Native Tree & Shrub Planting cost-share program, with the Village covering half of the cost of the plants and the planting. 

Your property may qualify for one or more of the Village's Cost-Share programs, which can not only help restore the ecological health of Riverwoods, but can also improve your property's ornamental landscape and real estate value. To see which cost-share programs your property qualifies for, request an Ecological Consultation with the Village Ecologist.