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Siberian Iris
The cultivar 'Riverdance' has lovely medium blue flowers with ruffled petals and white at the base of the falls. The stalks stand 40 – 45 inches high with 4 to 5 buds on each stalk. It blooms in mid season, while the thin, grass like foliage remains a highlight throughout the summer. In 2000 Riverdance was awarded Honorable Mention by the American Iris Society and in 2002 it was given the Award of Merit. In 2006 it received the Morgan Wood Medal which is the highest special award given to a Siberian Iris.
Siberian irises lack the “beard” of colored hairs at the base of each fall that other iris groups have. Typically these irises grow together in thick clumps which keep out weeds. The classic 'Fleur de Lys' which has been a symbol of royalty throughout history was an adaptation of the iris flower. The name Iris was taken from the Greek goddess of the rainbow to symbolize the many colors of this flower.