Flower profile
Giant blue iris
Iris giganticaerulea
Giant blue iris is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Louisiana it's most often seen in bloom in March–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Iris giganticaerulea, the giant blue iris, or Louisiana Iris, is a species of iris, in the subgenus Limniris, in the series Hexagonae. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from northern America. It has long bright green leaves, very tall stems and one or two musky fragrant flowers in a range of blue shades or rarely white.
- It belongs to the Iridaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 300 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #103 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
Giant blue iris gift ideas
Handmade giant blue iris gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Giant blue iris art print
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Giant blue iris greeting card
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Giant blue iris mug
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Giant blue iris earrings
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Giant blue iris embroidery pattern
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Giant blue iris sticker
When does it bloom?
In Louisiana, most flowering sightings come in March–April.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S2), MS (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Louisiana. NatureServe
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Flag” (Iris species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Salivation, vomiting, drooling,lethargy, diarrhea. Highest concentration in… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records giant blue iris in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Louisiana.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Assumption, Caddo, Caldwell, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Richland, St. Charles, St. Mary, Washington, West Feliciana.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile IRGI.
- iNaturalist, Iris giganticaerulea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Iris giganticaerulea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- La. R.S. 49:154.1: Louisiana state wildflower.
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Iris giganticaerulea (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Jody Shugart via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.