Native Plant Alternatives to Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Iris)

Iris pseudacorus, also known as yellow flag iris or yellow iris, is considered invasive in certain regions, particularly in North America.

Native to Europe, western Asia, and northwest Africa, this plant has been introduced to other parts of the world as an ornamental species for its striking yellow flowers. However, it’s highly adaptive and can grow in a variety of conditions, including wetlands, marshes, along riverbanks, and in ditches.

It spreads aggressively both through its prolific seed production and through rhizomes, forming dense stands that outcompete native vegetation, alter habitats, and even degrade the quality of water bodies it invades.

Yellow Iris is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

In some areas of the U.S., such as the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast, it’s especially problematic. It’s also listed as a noxious weed in several states.

According to the U.S Forest Service, Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially lead to increased soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if it occurs naturally in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants. First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers and pesticides or use less water. Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats. Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.