8th May: Iris Day

Today is celebrated as Iris day in Japan. Here are 10 things you might not know about irises:

1. There are more than 200 species of Iris.
2. The name of the flower is derived from the Greek word for rainbow, as the flowers come in most colours of the Rainbow - Pink, lilac, Yellow, Orange, purple, and white. There are no red irises.
3. An Iris flower has 6 petals, three of which stand upright in the middle of the flower and three that grow out horizontally with tips which fall backwards. The fleur-de-lis symbol is actually a stylised iris flower.
4. The Giardino dell'Iris in Florence is the most famous Iris garden in Europe. It holds an annual competition for iris breeders.
5. Iris plants have been used in herbal medicine and aromatherapy as a sedative, a liver purge, for coughs, skin diseases and the juice is used to remove freckles from the skin. Some of the rhizomes are toxic, though, and while not usually fatal they can make people quite ill - so don't try treating yourself!
6. The most common use today is for making perfume. Some brands of Gin contain iris roots and flowers for flavour and colouring.
7. Iris plants can be used in water purification. Strategically planted, they consume some pollutants and improve water quality.
8. A flower which appears on the Sphinx in Egypt is thought to be an Iris. It also appears on a 28th Egyptian Dynasty bas relief.
9. The Iris is one of the state flowers of the US state of Tennessee. Greeneville, Tennessee holds an annual Iris Festival celebrating the Iris.
10. Iris is the birth flower for people born in February. In the language of flowers, it means faith, wisdom, peace of mind, friendship and hope. Different coloured blooms have different meanings. Yellow is passion, white is purity and blue is hope and faith.