From Goths to guillotines, the iris has been one of the most political - and blood-drenched of all the flowers in our gardens.
It began in 496 AD when Clovis, King of the Franks was trapped with his exhausted army by the Goths against a bend in the Rhine River. Clovis looked desperately for an escape and spotted an iris growing far out in the river. This told him the river was shallow enough to cross and they were saved.

Clovis, a pagan, believed that God had shown him the way by placing the flower in the river. In gratitude he converted to Christianity and adopted the iris as his royal emblem. In the 12th century this emblem was revived by Louis VII as his standard during the crusades. It became known as the fleur de Louis, eventually becoming the fleur-de-lis.

For centuries the fleur-de-lis represented the French monarchy. The three petals represent faith, wisdom and valour. And it was precisely because it was such a powerful icon that it became one of the most hated symbols during the French revolution. It was hacked off buildings and torn from tapestries. If a person was caught wearing the fleur-de-lis, however incidentally on their clothes or jewelry, they were put to death.

In Europe today the power and influence of the fleur-de-lis is gone, reduced to a mere decorative ornament. But here in Canada the fleur-de-lis continues to grace the Quebec flag, a still powerful emblem of a proud and ancient heritage.

When the Province changed their official flower to the blue flag iris in 1999, they redefined this rich cultural icon. The colour blue is for the Quebec flag, its variegated petals illustrate the cultural diversity of Quebec, and its shoreline habitat stresses the importance of water in the balance of nature.

The iris is a flower with an innate nobility: tall and stately; it’s even shaped like a royal scepter. To this day the fleur-de-lis is still used to mark the direction of north on compasses around the world. True to its form, the flower has resumed its role as a symbol of pride in French culture.

But now the values and enrichment of a new world give it fresh meaning. The iris has traveled a bumpy, often bloody road from the first to the twenty-first century, but it hasn’t lost its ability to inspire us with its grace and dignity. As political symbols go, this is still one of the finest.