Chasing the Louisiana Iris

There’s an all-too-appropriate eccentricity to the elegance of the Louisiana Iris. Like a festival queen, the flower is all drama, bedecked in legacy. Out of the murky swamp, she emerges in the loudest of colors, long petals delicately unfurling to reveal a sweet throat beloved by the bees and the birds. 

There are three hundred species of iris growing in the Northern Hemisphere, and many are native to Louisiana. But only five species, all closely related and only able to interbreed with one another, are considered true “Louisiana Irises”: the Zigzag Iris, or Short-Stemmed Iris (Iris brevicaulis); the Copper Iris (Iris fulva); the Dixie Iris (Iris hexagona); the Giant Blue Iris (Iris giganticaerulea); and the Abbeville Red Iris (Iris nesonii). 

During the early twentieth century, the Louisiana Iris suddenly attracted the notice of local naturalists, transforming in the public eye from a meddlesome (if lovely) weed into a botanical treasure. Described once by The Times-Picayune as “amounting almost to a cult,” groups of iris enthusiasts were known to wander into the swamps and bogs of South Louisiana in search of these flowers in all of their varying colors, forms, and styles. Among these early obsessives were icons such as Mary Swords DeBaillon and Caroline Dormon, as well as Percy Viosca and Ira S. Nelson. 

Around the 1930s, the Louisiana Iris Conservation Society (now the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative, LICI) was formed, followed shortly after by the Louisiana Iris Society (now the Society for Louisiana Irises, SLI) in 1941. Today, there is also the Greater New Orleans Iris Society, GNOIS, founded in 2000. In 1990, after years of advocacy by iris enthusiasts to have the iris replace the magnolia as the state flower, the Giant Blue Iris was named the Louisiana State Wildflower. 

Today, Louisiana Iris numbers have declined in the wild due to factors like habitat loss, saltwater intrusion, and climate change, as well as the increased use of herbicides. As it has for a century now, though, the flower maintains its champions; conservation organizations and societies have worked tirelessly to rescue seeds and seedlings in vulnerable areas and to reinstate them in secure locations, often with the goal of making them accessible to the public as a means of education. 

Since 2020, the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative has published a Louisiana Iris Viewing Locations Map, integrated with Google Maps, drawing out a path to some of the best publicly-accessible destinations to see Louisiana Iris during blooming season, between late-March and late-April. 

Using these locations, and a few more, I embarked on an iris hunt for the ages last spring—and am eager to send you out this year to experience the wonder yourself. Welcome to the cult.  

Editor’s Note: This trail takes you on a massive, almost-600-mile loop across Louisiana. It would be, frankly, impossible—even for the most ambitious iris hunter—to hit all of these locations in less than four days, especially because to see irises, you do, in fact, need sunlight. If you don’t have that much time to give, simply visit the destinations nearest you, or embark on a daytrip (or two) to cluster destinations on the Northshore, in New Orleans, or along the Bayou Teche region. Always check location websites and Facebook pages regarding potential closures, ADA-accessibility, and other concerns before you go. 

LICI’s own map, with GPS-capabilities, should be available in early March. We’ll link it at our website as soon as it is available. During bloomtime, LICI posts frequent updates on the status of many of these iris destinations on their Facebook Page. 

[Read this story: Return of the Iris—Cultivating a new generation of Louisiana irises] 

Briarwood Nature Preserve 

Saline, Louisiana

On this circa-1859 family homestead of Caroline Dormon—the pioneering naturalist and artist who was the first woman to be hired by the U.S. Forest Service—remain the bright blooms of her legacy as an iris cultivator. Dormon’s collection of Louisiana Irises, grown in the property’s Bay Garden, is one of the oldest in existence. There are more than 150 cultivars, many only existing at Briarwood. After suffering extensive damage during a 2019 tornado, the garden was finally partially re-opened to the public last year after careful restorations by onsite stewards, volunteers, and high school students. A new trail on the property also showcases thousands of Southern Blue irises (not a native Louisiana iris, but beautiful nonetheless). Note: Visits to Briarwood are by appointment only. briarwoodnp.org. 

[Read this: "Where the Wild Things Are: Caroline Dormon and the Briarwood Nature preserve"]

Louisiana State Arboretum—Wetland Trail 

Ville Platte, Louisiana

I’d be remiss not to mention my hometown iris site, at the State Arboretum—a longtime dream of naturalist Caroline Dormon’s come to life. When it opened, she helped establish a vast collection of native Louisiana trees and shrubs for the 600-acre preservation area. And on the Wetland Trail, at the heart of it all, still grows, to this day, a stand of wild Louisiana Iris. You can also see a collection of hybrid varieties on display near the Arboretum’s entrance. friendslaarb.org. 

[Read this: The history of the Louisiana State Arboretum] 

Moncus Park

Lafayette, Louisiana 

Since opening its gates in 2022, Moncus Park has been a dedicated site for Louisiana’s native flora, and is now home to the state’s largest display of iris cultivars—which include a collection of over 10,000 Louisiana irises in a stunning, multi-colored display around Lake Reaux at the center of the park. Last May, the team facilitated a planting in partnership with LICI of 400 Giant Blue Irises, and in January received a generous donation from the Sunset estate of Richard Goula—a dedicated cultivar and historian of Louisiana Iris. The donation of 1,000 specimens included a collection of vintage plant identification tags that will provide vital knowledge towards preserving rare varieties of iris from the 1960s. The flowers are set to have their first bloom this spring.  moncuspark.org.

[Read this story about the history of Moncus Park in Lafayette: "A Place for the People"]

Palmetto Island State Park 

Abbeville, Louisiana 

The rarest of all Louisiana Iris can be seen here on a short hike behind the Nature Center, which takes you directly, via boardwalk, into the cypress-tupelo swamp. This distinct, isolated, ecosystem is the only place where the Iris nelsonii, or Abbeville Red Iris, thrives. This large, red or red-purple (rarely a pale yellow) flower is Louisiana’s only endemic plant; it can’t grow naturally anywhere else in the world, with natural range restricted to a privately-owned swamp in Vermilion Parish. In 2011, staff from the Friends of Palmetto Island, Palmetto Island State Park, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, and the Office of State Parks planted 100 rhizomes here in this swamp for public viewing. Come on April 5 from 11 am–4 pm for the annual Abbeville Red Bloom Event, featuring expert talks, photography opportunities, and more. lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/palmetto-island-state-park. 

[Read this: "Unusual Dinner Companions while cold-weather camping at Palmetto Island State Park"]

Evangeline Oak Park

St. Martinville, Louisiana

Historically, Iris giganticaerulea, also called “Giant Blue Iris” or “Giant Blue Flag,” grew all along the Bayou Teche. In recent years, volunteers from LICI have worked to re-establish these populations—with a special concentration around the lore-laden Evangeline Oak Park. When I visited last year, in early April, the purple flowers dotted the bayou’s shoreline, ready to spring forth into their full bloom any minute. 

New Iberia City Park 

New Iberia, Louisiana 

On another section of the Bayou Teche, in the center of historic New Iberia, LICI has planted hundreds of Giant Blues, which have thrived in their new home. You can view them up close by walking along trails beside the bayou.   

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge Boardwalk

Centerville, Louisiana

On the Garden City Levee Foot Trail in this wildlife refuge near Franklin, visitors will find a boardwalk to take them to iris paradise—here, there are more Giant Blues per square foot than almost anywhere else in the state. According to the LICI Viewing Map, being here is like stepping back in time to when the swamps were practically purple with the blooms. fws.gov/refuge/bayoy-teche.

Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Center 

Morgan City, Louisiana

Follow the Teche to Morgan City, where you’ll find the Cajun Coast Tourism folks situated on a classic stretch of Louisiana cypress swamp. All around the building are Giant Blues the LICI transplanted from endangered areas around the region.cajuncoast.com. 

Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge—Mandalay Nature Trail 

Houma, Louisiana

This one mile out-and-back trail, great for beginners and taking about twenty minutes to complete in total, will guide you through a narrow hardwood forest and into the swamp. Off-the-beaten path, you’ll likely have your run of the place. This swamp’s native iris population has suffered due to storm surges from hurricanes in recent years, but LICI has been adding more Giant Blues to the population each year. fws.gov/refuge/mandalay. 

Lockport Elevated Wetlands Boardwalk 

Lockport, Louisiana

This well-maintained boardwalk is in the middle of absolutely nowhere—you’ll question yourself a few times on the way, no doubt. But as soon as you find the parking lot, you’ll know you’re in the right place because of the wild bloom of Iris fulva, or “Copper Iris” in the ditch. On the actual boardwalk itself, which is a brief 440-foot finger into the serene swamp—kind of like stepping into the wardrobe for just a moment—the Giant Blues that once grew here have all but disappeared. But when I visited, right at sunset, I noticed a single flower glowing from within the lush mass of greenery. 

DETOUR TO GRAND ISLE 

Lafitte Woods Nature Preserve—Gilletta Tract

For the committed, to be sure—this detour from the trail to New Orleans will set you back more than two hours round trip. But if you embark on the journey, you’ll find an iris bog along the boardwalks that is still in recovery from damages by Hurricane Ida, growing back thicker and more vibrant by the year, with thousands of blooms. The flowers attract travelers from miles ‘round. Come at just the right time, and you’ll catch the Migratory Bird Festival while you’re there. 

[Read this: "The Forest at the Island's Heart—The Lafitte Woods Nature Preserve stands strong as a last protective haven on Grand Isle"] 

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve, Barataria Preserve—Bayou Coquille Trail 

Marrero, Louisiana

The Bayou Coquille Trail is one of the first swamp boardwalks built in the region, one of the earliest opportunities for the public to step into this ecosystem and see it up close—making it at one time one of the only ways for city-dwellers to see blooming irises in the wild. Today, despite the damages of saltwater surges entering the refuge during hurricanes and tropical storms, the Coquille Trail is still brightened by clumps of Giant Blues, and you can even see Copper Irises growing along the roadways. nps.gov/jela/planyourvisit/barataria-preserve. 

[Read this: "A Jaunt to Jean Lafitte—The scenic small town on the Bayou Barataria holds the spirit of adventure in its name"]

St. Bernard State Park Nature Walk

Braithwaite, Louisiana

A designated stop on the American Wetland Birding Trail, this state park just outside of New Orleans, right on the Mississippi River, has Giant Blues growing near the picnic pavilion, as well as along the 2.7 mile State Park loop trail (recent hikers have warned that though the accessible parts of the trail were lovely and well-maintained, they couldn’t complete the loop because of closures). lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/st-bernard-state-park. 

Longue Vue House & Gardens Wild Garden 

New Orleans, Louisiana

Longue Vue’s Wild Garden, which was designed by pioneer landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman and contains iris contributions from Caroline Dormon, holds the oldest consistently maintained Louisiana Iris collection in New Orleans. Though the collection suffered a massive loss during Hurricane Katrina, it has slowly been nurtured and revived to now contain over 3,500 plants that make magic of Shipman’s pathways. Among these, you’ll find all of the Louisiana Irises, as well as over 130 named historic and contemporary hybrid cultivars. Each April (scheduled this year tentatively for April 8), Longue Vue partners with GNOIS to host the Louisiana Iris Day at peak bloom time, featuring free admission and refreshments. longuevue.com. 

[Read this: "A House Built for the Garden: The art of maintaining Ellen Biddle Shipman’s remarkable landscaping at Longue Vue"]

New Orleans City Park 

New Orleans, Louisiana 

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is an especially lovely place to wander in the spring, and it is a great spot to witness a vast number of native irises in bloom, mostly donated by the GNOIS. You’ll also find extensive beds of Louisiana Iris cultivars in the older section of the sculpture garden. Then, walk on over to the Louisiana Children’s Museum, where an impressive collection of Giant Blues rests in the lagoon. 

City Park will also host the Louisiana Rainbow Iris Festival on March 31 from 10 am–3 pm, featuring the height of the bloom and the opportunity to speak with iris experts on site. neworleanscitypark.org. 

[Read this: "City Splendor: Fairytales, fine art, and fresh ideas for New Orleans' 1,300-acre Eden"] 

Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge Boy Scout Road Boardwalk Trail 

Lacombe, Louisiana

Long a beloved place for iris fanatics to come and ogle at the showstopping Giant Blue blooms, which occur here naturally, this half-a-mile looping boardwalk trail is a gorgeous excursion in its own right. When I visited in early April last year, none of the famed irises were yet blooming. I found out later that for some mysterious reason, these are always the last irises to bloom in Louisiana—so if you’re hunting late in the season, this is a must stop. fws.gov/refuge/big-branch-marsh. 

Fontainebleau State Park 

Mandeville, Louisiana

In December, experts from LICI were estimating a bloom of 12,000 irises at Fontainebleau State Park this year. Situated to the left of the picnic pavilions near the beach area on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain are the iris bog and adjacent trail; you can drive right up to them. It’s a remarkable view, the purple flowers shooting out over the lake’s horizon. When I visited last year, over half of the irises had only been planted a year prior and were too young to flower. Even still, the display was full of wonder. This year, in full bloom, the sight should be unforgettable. lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/fontainebleau-state-park.

[Read this: "A Weekend at Fontainebleau—Plan well ahead for a trip even nature's wrath can't spoil"]

Northlake Nature Center Iris Cove 

Mandeville, Louisiana

This is the most demanding stop along this Iris Trail excursion, requiring about a (very pleasant) mile’s walk down the wooded Clubhouse Trail to reach the main iris display at Iris Cove. About half a mile in, I wondered if I was going the right way, and then crossed a family holding a bunch of iris in their hands. “How far is it?” I asked them. “Right around that bend,” they said. The collection at Northlake, largely planted by GNOIS in 2017, originally included all five Louisiana Iris species. On my visit, I noted Giant Blues, some Copper Irises, and Dixie Irises. Despite being intentionally cultivated, the Iris Cove has an especially magical, fairyland quality—a sparkling pool of swampwater shining bright in the sun, with bursts of color everywhere you look. northlakenature.org. 

Pelican Park 

Mandeville, Louisiana

In this more developed setting, surrounded by baseball diamonds, LICI has been utilizing retention ponds near the Silver Field and Gold Field as places to safely grow rescued irises for use in restoration projects—adding more irises each year with the help of volunteers and allowing them to multiply. In the meantime, visitors can enjoy the masterpiece of hundreds of irises all easily visible at once. According to reports by the LICI, plans are underway for the bogs to double in size for this year’s bloom. pelicanpark.recdesk.com. 

Fairview-Riverside State Park 

Madisonville, Louisiana

To get to the trail, drive on past the campgrounds all the way to the back. A small sign announcing “Swamp Trail” will usher you onto a .4-mile in-and-out boardwalk that takes you from the parking lot into another dimension. Cypress knees burst from the ground, the canopy quivers above you, and Spanish moss is draped everywhere. And if you look closely, you’ll spot the unmistakable pops of color of Giant Blue Irises. This past January, the park’s late manager Marvin Steinbeck was memorialized in a planting of over 500 new irises, bringing the swamp’s total number up to 1,000. lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/fairview-riverside-state-park. 

Joyce Wildlife Management Area Boardwalk 

Ponchatoula, Louisiana

For the past four years, this secret hike has been ranked #1 on LICI’s list of best locations to safely see wild irises blooming in their natural habitats. The parking lot feels illicit, but stepping onto the boardwalk is like stepping into wildlife wonderland. The hike is .5 miles in-and-out, and offers total immersion into the world of the South Louisiana swamp and the creatures that live in it. This place is one of the ones I’m most grateful to have discovered on my great iris hunt—and that’s not even to mention the irises themselves. This is where I saw the most Giant Blue clumps (as opposed to en masse like at Fountainebleau and Pelican Park) and where I saw the most diverse collection of colors (even the very rare white Giant Blue). And, I saw the flowers throughout the entire walk. LICI experts describe this site as about as close as we can get to how the swamps once looked, before the wild iris populations diminished.  

[Read this: "Louisiana Born and Raised: 5 Destinations to See Native Plants at Their Best"]

Independence Botanical Gardens

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

A project begun in 1991 through initiatives of BREC and the Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation, the gardens in Independence Community Park feature a dedicated Louisiana Iris Garden at their center. All along blissful strolling paths, the garden displays all five native species of Louisiana Iris, as well as several hybrids in honor of the late Baton Rouge iris hybridizer Joseph Mertzweiller. brec.org/botanicgarden. 

LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Across the gorgeous property at Burden, you can find irises of different varieties during season. But the best showcase is along the 2.2-mile-long Black Swamp Trail Boardwalk hike—where GNOIS has planted Giant Blues and Abbeville Reds throughout the rain-fed swamp. You can also find clumps along the edges of the Barton Arboretum Pond. lsuagcenter.com.