Flower profile

Dwarf iris

Iris verna

Dwarf iris (Iris verna) is a flowering plant in the Iridaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Dwarf iris is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

16states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

4,033U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, South Carolina

Quick look

Iris verna, the dwarf violet iris or upland dwarf iris, is a species of flowering plant in the iris family (Iridaceae). It is endemic to the eastern United States from Maryland to Florida along the Atlantic Coast, west to Mississippi, and inland to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. It occurs in nutrient-poor acidic soils of open to semi-shaded woodlands.
From Wikipedia's article Iris verna, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Iridaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 16 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Alabama and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In Alabama, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 724 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #83 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 411 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #98 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (544 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Alabama	Native	March–April	724
South Carolina	Native	few records (43)	411

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S2), DC (SH), MD (S1), OH (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: roots, sap/juice. Symptoms they list: “Salivation, vomiting, drooling, lethargy, diarrhea. Highest concentration in rhizomes. Can be toxic to cattle if ingested.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Flag” (Iris species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Salivation, vomiting, drooling,lethargy, diarrhea. Highest concentration in… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records dwarf iris in 16 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Calhoun, Clarke, Cleburne, Conecuh, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Elmore, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Mobile, Pike, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Washington, Winston.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Horry, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 232 counties across 16 states; the most are in North Carolina (59), Virginia (57), Alabama (25).

Other Iris on Bloomipedia (11): Irises, Yellow iris, Dwarf crested iris, Douglas iris, Western blue flag, Northern blue flag iris, Southern blue flag, Oregon iris, Beach-head iris, Dwarf lake iris.

More from the Iridaceae family (14 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Western blue-eyed grass, Blue pigroot, Grasswidow.

More Alabama flowers

Blue pigroot

Sisyrinchium micranthum

🌼 Blooms in AL: April–May

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in AL: May–July

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in AL: June–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile IRVE.
iNaturalist, Iris verna: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Iris verna (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Iris verna (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Joey Parsons via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.