Back to main Search Page

Iris pseudacorus - L.

Yellow Flag

Author	L.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Iridaceae	Genus	Iris
Synonyms
Known Hazards	The leaves, and especially the rhizomes, of this species contain an irritating resinous substance called irisin. If ingested this can cause severe gastric disturbances[274]. Plants can cause skin irritations and allergies in some people[238].
Range	Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa the Caucasus and W. Asia.
Habitat	Damp marshy areas, swampy woods and in shallow water or wet ground on the edges of rivers and ditches[17]. Often found in shady places[4].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1.5m by 2m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil and can grow in water. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Meadow; Pond; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Uses: Coffee.

The seed is said to make an excellent coffee substitute as long as it is well roasted[2, 7, 61, 105, 115, 244]. Caution is advised, it might be poisonous[177].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Astringent; Cathartic; Emetic; Emmenagogue; Odontalgic.

The fresh root is astringent, cathartic, emetic, emmenagogue and odontalgic[4, 7, 61]. A slice of the root held against an aching tooth is said to bring immediate relief[244]. It was at one time widely used as a powerful cathartic but is seldom used nowadays because of its extremely acrid nature[4]. It can also cause violent vomiting and diarrhoea[244]. When dried the root loses its acridity and then only acts as an astringent[4].

Other Uses

Dye; Essential; Ink; Tannin.

A beautiful yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[4]. A good black dye is obtained from the root if it is mixed with iron sulphate[4, 115]. It is brown otherwise[141]. The root is a source of tannin[61] and has been used in making ink[4]. A delicately scented essential oil, obtained from the roots, has been used to adulterate the oil of Acorus calamus[245].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers are scented.

Root: Dried

A delicately scented essential oil is obtained from the dried roots.

Cultivation details

Prefers a humus rich soil[79]. Succeeds in water up to 15cm deep[24]. Requires a moist soil, especially in early summer. Prefers a position in semi-shade[188]. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[233]. A delicately scented essential oil is obtained from the dried roots[245]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[233]. Some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[187].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[4]. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame. A period of cold stratification improves germination time and rates. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first year. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division in March or October. Early autumn is best[200]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivars

There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[24] Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden. 0
Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[79] Innes. C. The World of Iridaceae 0
Deals with many of the plants in the Iris family giving brief details of habitat and notes on cultivation. Well illustrated.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 0
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.

[141] Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986 ISBN 0704909820
Some suggested alternative commercial crops for Britain. Readable. Produced by a University study group.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[274] Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999 ISBN 1-889878-01-4
An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Iris pseudacorus

d g shrubb Wed Dec 3 2008

Is there any herbicide that willkill this invasive plant

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).