Iris derives its name from the Greek word meaning ‘rainbow’ as the huge number of species of this genus, which ranges between 200 and 300 varieties, display a kaleidoscope of different shades.

The plant bears fragrant flowers which blossom from May to July. The flower contains three sepals which bend downwards and are of the same colour as the petals. The actual petals are shorter than the sepals and the colours include white, purple, blue, light blue and white with a tinge of purple. The leaves of the plant are like swords clustering at the base or it can have bulbous basal leaves depending on the different species.

Irises can be found on the mountains, in meadows, at the banks of the streams and even in the deserts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America. The plant grows well both in full sun as well as partial shade and requires well drained soil. This perennial herbaceous plant can either grow from a rhizome or from a bulb depending on the climatic conditions.

In the olden times Iris was used to make perfume and medicine. Nowadays, an essential oil is extracted from the flowers, which has sedative properties.