The IRIS… in Greek mythology, Iris is the goddess who acts as a messenger of the Gods, appearing to mortals in the form of a rainbow.  The Iris’s wide spectrum of colors lends itself perfectly to its namesake.

The Iris symbolizes great faith, wisdom, hope, love and cherished friendship.  Poets, kings and artists have been admirers of the exotic Iris , and the flower was considered a symbol of great power by the Egyptians.  Drawings of the Iris have been found in many Egyptian palaces.

The petals of the Iris are fan-shaped and its leaves are sword-shaped.  The downward spread of the petals are sometimes referred to as falls for the direction they take.  Some Irises have what are called beards, a fuzzy part of the lower petal on the flower.  This beard is thought to attract bees to encourage pollination.

For centuries, the Iris has been used to make fragrances and medicines.  Considered sacred by the Greeks, the Iris was used to heal colds, coughs and indigestion.

Whenever I see an Iris now, I think of Kara Wickman.  Kara’s lovely Iris surprises on Facebook while I was writing my May Flowers segment of 365 Days of Literacy for Kids were so magical and winged, as if the goddess Iris herself was visiting with her delightful colors and shapes.

Share the Iris with your kids and grandkids today.  Tell of the goddess Iris, her rainbow colors, and the colors of the Iris flower…  blue, black, purple, orange, yellow, red, brown, white, pink and even black.  Tell of the Iris’s beards.  Kids love things like flowers with beards!

Share an Iris masterpiece with a child or a cherished friend… and tell of its secrets.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote of the Iris, “Thou art the Muse…”  Share your Muse.

And to Kara… thank you, cherished friend!