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Indigenous flowers
Tennessee
The iris serves as Tennessee’s indigenous flower. It was declared to be the
State’s official flower by legislature in 1933. Today, there are different
varieties of this Tenessee indigenous flower, however, it is commonly accepted
that the purple iris is the one being referred to by the legislature.
The name “iris” comes from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, in reference to the
showy colors of this Tennessee indigenous flower’s blossoms. The iris can be
very aesthetically pleasing, especially in full bloom. Because of this, a lot of
people interested in ornamental horticulture have cultivated the irises.
If you are planning to cultivate irises, you might like to know that different
varieties are grown using different means. Most are grown either using bulbs or
creeping rhizomes. This means that you can pick the planting method that’s most
convenient for you.
Irises are perennial herbs. This means that they die during the winter and grow
back during the spring. They actually use their rootstock to grow back, rather
than seeds. This means that if you manage to plant irises, you will be able to
enjoy them blossoming for a long time.
The most common variety of this Tennessee indigenous flower that’s grown in
gardens is the bearded German iris. This is because of the fact that they are
pretty easy to cultivate. They are also easy to propagate, which means that
someone who plants one iris plant will be able to expect more in the following
seasons.
The current “holy grail” of irises today is a true red, tall, bearded variety.
Many people have tried and failed to produce a hybrid which exhibits these
qualities of the Tennessee indigenous flower. Oh, there are species which have
exhibited the pure red color. However, it has been observed that getting the
same color into modern iris breeds is a very difficult task.
If you plan on cultivating irises, you need to know the difference between
planting a rhizome and a bulb. When it comes to the Tennessee indigenous flower,
the rhizomes have to be planted in September or October. You need particularly
sunny positions for the iris to thrive.
If you are planting the irises using bulbs, this Tennessee indigenous flower
will thrive in well-drained, porous soil. This means that you cannot plant the
bulbs in clay. They should also be located in a spot where they can get lots of
sunshine. During the winter, the plants should be protected using a covering of
half-decayed leaves.
There are some uses of this Tennessee indigenous flower which you might not know
about. One of the most common is perfumery. The first fact that might surprise
you is that the rhizome, and not the flower, is used in making perfumes. The
dried and aged rhizome is oxidized in order to yield a very valuable component
of perfumes called iris butter.
Native plant recommendations
K
E
Y
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LIGHT
F
= full sunlight
P = partial shade
S = shade |
SOIL
MOISTURE
H
= hydric; wet, plants periodically or often inundated by water
M = mesic; moist, adequate soil moisture retention year-round
S = sub-xeric; moist to dry, seasonally moist, periodically dry
X = xeric; dry & drought resistant, little moisture retention,
excessively drained |
SOIL
pH
B
= basic; prefers limestone
A = acidic; prefers acidic soils
* = restricted to either B or A |
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COMMON NAME |
SCIENTIFIC NAME |
LIGHT |
MOISTURE |
SOIL pH |
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SHRUBS |
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alder |
Alnus serrulata |
F, P |
H, M |
B, A |
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indigobush |
Amorpha fruticosa |
F, P |
M, S, X |
B, A |
|
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black chokecherry |
Aronia melanocarpa |
F, P |
H, M, S, X |
A |
|
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sweetshrub |
Calycanthus floridus |
P |
H, S |
A |
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American beautyberry |
Callicarpa americana |
F, P |
H, M, S, X |
B, A |
|
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New Jersey tea |
Ceanothus americanus |
P, S |
M, S, X |
A* |
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buttonbush |
Cephalanthus occidentalis |
F, P |
H |
B, A |
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silky dogwood |
Cornus amomum |
F, P |
H, M |
B, A |
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hazelnut |
Corylus americana |
F, P, S |
M, S |
B, A |
|
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leatherwood |
Dirca palustris |
F, P, S |
M |
B, A |
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hearts-a-bustin |
Euonymus americana |
P, S |
M,H |
B, A |
|
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oakleaf hydrangea |
Hydrangea quercifolia |
F, P, S |
M, S |
B, A |
|
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wild hydrangea |
Hydrangea arborescens |
P, S |
M, X |
B, A |
|
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golden St. John's wort |
Hypericum frondosum |
F, P |
M, X |
B* |
|
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shrubby St. John's wort |
Hypericum prolificum |
F, P |
H, M, S, X |
B, A |
|
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common winterberry |
Ilex verticillata |
F, P, S |
H, M |
A |
|
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Virginia-willow |
Itea virginica |
F, P, S |
H, M |
B, A |
|
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mountain laurel |
Kalmia latifolia |
F, P |
S, X |
A* |
|
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spicebush |
Lindera benzoin |
F, P |
M |
B, A |
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ninebark |
Physocarpus apulifolius |
F, P |
H, M, X |
B, A |
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wild azalea |
Rhododendron canescens |
P, S |
M, S |
A* |
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fragrant sumac |
Rhus aromatica |
F, P |
S, X |
B* |
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winged sumac |
Rhus copallina |
F, P |
S, X |
B, A |
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Carolina rose |
Rosa carolina |
F, P |
M, S |
B |
|
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swamp rose |
Rosa palustris |
F, P |
H, M |
B, A |
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prairie rose |
Rosa setigera |
F, P |
M, S, X |
B, A |
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elderberry |
Sambucus canadensis |
F, P, S |
M |
B |
|
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bladdernut |
Staphlea trifolia |
P, S |
M, S |
B |
|
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bigleaf snowbell |
Styrax grandifolia |
F, P, S |
M, S |
A |
|
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coralberry |
Symphoricarpus orbiculatus |
F, P, S |
M, S, X |
B, A |
|
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farkleberry |
Vaccinium arboreum |
F, P |
S, X |
A* |
|
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deerberry |
Vaccinium stamineum |
F, P |
M, S, X |
A* |
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lowbush blueberry |
Vaccinium vacillans |
F, P |
S, X |
A* |
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mapleleaf viburnum |
Viburnum acerifolium |
P, S |
M, S, X |
A |
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GRASSES |
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big bluestem |
Andropogon gerardii |
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little bluestem |
Andropogon scoparius |
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broomsedge |
Andropogon virginicus |
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river cane |
Arundinaria gigantea |
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river oats |
Chasmanthium latifolium |
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Canada wild rye |
Elymus canadensis |
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bottlebrush grass |
Hystrix patula |
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switchgrass |
Panicum virgatum |
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Indian grass |
Sorghastrum nutans |
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FLOWERS |
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doll's eyes |
Actaea alba |
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thimbleweed |
Anemone virginiana |
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wild columbine |
Aquilegia canadensis |
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wild ginger |
Asarum canadense |
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butterfly weed |
Asclepias tuberosa |
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swamp milkweed |
Asclepias incarnata |
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New England aster |
Aster novae-angliae |
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bushy aster |
Aster dumosus |
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fall blue aster |
Aster patens |
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blue false indigo |
Baptisia australis |
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tall bellflower |
Campanula americana |
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coreopsis |
Coreopssi major |
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shooting star |
Dodecatheon meadia |
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Joe-Pye weed |
Eupatorium fistulosum |
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mistflower |
Eupatorium coelestinum |
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wild geranium |
Geranium maculatum |
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woods sunflower |
Helianthus divaricatus |
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small-headed sunflower |
Helianthus microcephalus |
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liverleaf |
Hepatica acutiloba |
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alumroot |
Heuchera americana |
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jewelweed |
Impatiens pallida |
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spotted jewelweed |
Impatiens capensis |
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dwarf crested iris |
Iris cristata |
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cardinal flower |
Lobelia cardinalis |
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great blue lobelia |
Lobelia siphilitica |
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Virginia bluebells |
Mertensia virginica |
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partridge berry |
Mitchella repens |
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bergamot |
Monarda fistulosa |
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prickly pear |
Opuntia fistulosa |
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Appalachian pachysandra |
Pachysandra procumbens |
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wild blue phlox |
Phlox divaricata |
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beard tongue |
Penstemon calycosus |
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Jacob's ladder |
Polemonium reptans |
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pokeweed |
Phytolacca americana |
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Solomon's seal |
Polygonatum biflorum |
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wild petunia |
Ruellia humilis |
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fire pink |
Silene virginica |
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Indian pink |
Spigelia marilandica |
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FERNS |
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lady fern |
Athyrium felix-femina |
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sensitive fern |
Onoclea sensibilis |
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cinnamon fern |
Osnumda cinnamomea |
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chain fern |
Woodwardia areolata |
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maidenhair fern |
Adiantum pedatum |
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ebony spleenwort |
Asplenium platyneuron |
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Christmas fern |
Polystichum acrostichoides |
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common grape fern |
Botrychium dissectum |
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broad beech fern |
Phegopteris hexagonaptera |
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common woodsia |
Woodsia obtusa |
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MOSAIC FOR FULL SUN |
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little bluestem |
Andropogon scoparius |
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big bluestem |
Andropogon gerardii |
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Indian grass |
Sorghastum nutans |
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Canada wild rye |
Elymus canadensis |
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grey-headed coneflower |
Ratibida pinnata |
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blackeyed susan |
Rudbeckia hirta & triloba |
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New England aster |
Aster novae-angliae |
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bushy aster |
Aster dumosus |
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butterfly weed |
Asclepias tuberosa |
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blue false indigo |
Baptisia australis |
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rose vervain |
Verbena canadensis |
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Joe-Pye weed |
Eupatorium fistulosum |
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wild bergamot |
Monarda fistulosa |
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ironweed |
Vernonia altissima |
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shooting star |
Dodecatheon meadia |
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MOSAIC FOR SHADE |
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thimbleweed |
Anemone virginiana |
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wild ginger |
Asarum canadense |
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ebony spleenwort |
Asplenium platyneuron |
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shooting star |
Dodecatheon meadia |
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alumroot |
Heuchera americana |
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Appalachian pachysandra |
Pachysandra procumbens |
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Christmas fern |
Polystichum acrostichoides |
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broad beech fern |
Phegopteris hexagonaptera |
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golden ragwort |
Senecio glabellus |
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foamflower |
Tiarella cordifolia |
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spiderwort |
Tradescantia virginiana |
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long-spurred violet |
Viola rostrata |
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common woodsia |
Woodsia obtusa |
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