Yellow Flag Iris

After yesterday's blip of Rhododendron Ponticum, this is another very common sight at this time of year in the west of Scotland, and particularly in the Western Isles where whole clumps of these can be seen on the edges of lochs and in damp ditches. They always remind me of my old school-house at Kilerevagh in Benbecula because at this time of the year they were prolific on the edges of the marshy stream below the building.

In places it has become an invasive species, almost impossible to eradicate, but in other spots it remains highly valued both for its decoration and (once upon a time at least) for its usefulness - the flower, the root and the leaves can all be used for making dye and indeed the rhizome produces a very strong black , called "Sabbath Black" which can also be used as an ink.

It is called a " flag" iris probably because of it's use by King Clovis of the Franks on his standard in the 5th century. When he converted to Christianity he put three iris on his banner, to replace three toads.

The latin name for it is Iris Pseudacorus