Blue flag iris has always been a wonder to me. As a young child growing up in the Adirondack mountains in New York I would see it flowering while while standing in a foot of water. Then later in the summer as the pond levels dropped the plant was totally out of the water. I thought and still think of that as an amazing accomplishment for the plant.

When blue flag iris is brought into the garden it becomes an excellent foliage plant, adding its own beautiful flowers late May into June. It is especially lovely at the edge of a pond. Blue Flag is also a  great companion  with Canadian anemone (Anemone canadensis) they both flower at the same time. The white flowers of the anemone really make the blue flags blue flowers stand out. You need to be careful though because in a moist soil Canada Anemone can be come aggressive. Blue flag also mixes nicely with Azalea viscosum. The pink and blue flowers accent each other nicely. 

Blue flag prefers to grow in full sun or part shade. It will grow in extremely wet conditions or in ordinary garden soil that has been amended with organic matter. You will need to water the first year until it becomes established.

Blue flag grows from 1 and 1/2 to 2 feet tall. The plant has long linear dark green leaves that last through the summer and only turn yellow when it is extremely dry. I use it at the edge of my pond and it acts as an edger plant for swamp milkweed and tall meadow rue. Blue flag iris makes the wet areas in your garden come to life.