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Yellow Flag Iris · Iris pseudacorus Photo: Myrabella · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
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Wetland plantsSeen in the wild

Iris pseudacorus

Yellow Flag Iris

Large bright yellow flowers rise above sword-like leaves at the water's edge. Yellow flag is a native wetland plant in Ireland.

See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓

Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Habitat first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go
Usually flowers June–August.
Where to start
View from lakeside paths and pond edges in Ireland. Do not enter the water or unstable banks to get a photograph.
What to do when you arrive
In late spring and early summer, look for yellow flowers from safe pond or lake edges, then check fans of sword-shaped leaves. Dead winter foliage alone is unreliable for species identification.

Habitat and behaviour reference: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS

One plant. Four seasons.

Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.

Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.

Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.

Seasonal references: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY

Fruits, seeds & edibility

Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.

Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.

Sources & limitations

No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗

Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

BOTANICAL NOTESPlant notes
01

How to identify it

Tall, flat leaves have a prominent central rib. The yellow flowers have three downward-curving outer segments with darker markings near the base; large three-sided seed capsules follow.

02

Where it grows

Pond, lake and river margins, wet ditches and marshes.

03

Growth and ecology

A rhizomatous perennial forming clumps in wet mud and shallow water. The plant is poisonous and its sap may irritate skin; do not dig it up or eat it.

04

Flowering and seasons

Usually flowers June–August.

05

Where to look

View from lakeside paths and pond edges in Ireland. Do not enter the water or unstable banks to get a photograph.

Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.

Further reading:Wildflowers of Ireland ↗

Photo license: Myrabella · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

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