As illustrated in Perennials, I love flowers. All flowers. I love them because of their beauty, of course, but I also love that they all have deeper meanings. I find the iris to be exceptionally beautiful, but I also love what it stands for, which is why I got a tattoo of one about ten years ago. It’s a constant reminder of what I value in my life. And, yes, I did wonder what I’d think of it when I’m old, which is why it’s on my back – so I don’t have to look at it unless I want to.

Here are some of the popular interpretations for the iris.

From www.iris-flower.net: The story of the Iris flower dates back to Ancient Greece, when the Greek Goddess Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, acted as the messenger between heaven and earth. This rainbow goddess carried messages for the gods Hera and Zeus and back to earth by the arc of the rainbow, hence the Iris flower is the symbol of idea and message.

The Iris flower is the February birth flower and the 25th wedding anniversary flower. Traditionally the Iris flower has been chosen to symbolize faith, valor, wisdom, hope, inspiration, cherished friendship, my compliments and promise in love.

From the FlowerExpert.com, Iris symbolizes eloquence. Purple iris is symbolic of wisdom and compliments. Blue iris symbolizes faith and hope. Yellow iris symbolizes passion while white iris symbolizes purity.