Name: Blackberry Lily, aka Iris domestica  

Type of Plant: We call it a lily but it’s actually an Iris, native of Asia.

Why I Love this Plant:  I love how the small orange flowers grow in sprays, and how they attract butterflies. I love the seedpods in the garden, and how they go from green to tan and then open up to revel the black seeds, which is where the common name blackberry lily comes from. And I love how you can pick the seed pods and dry them, adding those clusters of black seeds to dried arrangements.

A Word to the Wise:  This is an easy plant to grow from seed…so easy, in fact, that has occasionally naturalized in some locations. If you have concerns about this plant invading the wild in your area, be sure to remove the seed pods before those seeds drop on the ground and grow.

A perennial plant that has clusters of flowers, for the garden or for cutting, is always of interest.

You can see in this photo how similar the foliage is to their cousins, Iris.

The butterflies like this flower too.

Even the seed pods catch our eyes and are an asset in the garden in August.