Iris pumila is yellow or shades of purple with yellow or light blue beards and blooms very early in the season. It has been bred extensively with tall bearded irises, giving rise to a wide variety of cultivars that vary in height from dwarf to middle range. A true pumila iris has no stem, because the floral tube arises directly from the rhizome. The name iris was taken from the Greek goddess of the rainbow to symbolize the many colors of this flower. The classic Fleur de Lys, which has been a symbol of royalty throughout history, was an adaptation of the iris flower. The yellow flowered clump in the Landscape Garden Rock Garden area was wild collected in Georgia (Sakarvelo).