Beachhead iris
Iris setosa

Family: Iridaceae

What it is like

A fleshy stemmed iris. It grows 60 cm tall. It grows in clumps. They leaves are grey-green. They arch over. They are narrow and ribbed. The flowers are purple with white centres. The veins are yellow.

There are about 300 Iris species.

Where it is found

It is a cool temperate plant. It grows well in damp soil in sun. It grows in wet subalpine meadows near ponds between 1,500-2,500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 3-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, North America, Russia, Siberia, Slovenia, USA

How it is used for food

Starch is extracted from the roots. The parched seeds are ground and used as a coffee substitute.

Edible parts

Root, rhizome, seeds-coffee

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Hiogi-ayame, Perunika

Synonyms

Iris arctica Eastw.; Iris brachycuspis Fisch, ex Sims; Iris interior (E. S. Anderson) Czerep.; and others