AGLOW WITH AURORA’S LIGHT…

AGLOW WITH AURORA’S LIGHT…


The iris. An ancient flower with ancient symbolism across many ancient cultures. The flower’s history begins with Ancient Egypt’s King Thutmose III in 1469 BC: after conquering Syria, this avid gardener king brought back iris plants to his palace. It soon became very popular and was regarded by Egyptians as symbolizing both the essence and renewal of life. The three petals of the flower were thought to stand for faith, wisdom, and valor. The rhizomes were used for medical purposes (orris root) and for the manufacture of perfumes and incense used in religious ceremonies.

Irises made their way to Ancient Greece and became ingrained in their mythology as belonging to the goddess Iris, the messenger of the gods. The goddess traveled on a rainbow - the word “iris” means “rainbow” in Greek - and colorful flowers sprang up wherever she walked.

As the iris spread to Europe in the early Anno Domini period, the flower was adopted by the Frankish King Clovis I in 500 AD as his symbol following his conversion to Christianity. As Frankish territory evolved into Francia and then France, the iris became the royal symbol called the Fleur-de-Lis. Yes, contrary to popular belief, the Fleur-de-Lis is NOT a lily!

Irises made their way to America as European settlers arrived, with irises being planted in Virginia in the 1600’s. Popular types planted were the Siberian iris, a smaller, colorful iris that works well as an edging plant, and the much larger and showy German or bearded iris.