It was John James Audubon who first declared the vibrant flowers he spotted in the woods to be the “Louisiana Iris.” Audubon would never know the full wisdom behind his selection. Centuries later that flower would commonly bloom in hues of purple and gold, popular choices in Louisiana – where those colors are carried into
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It was John James Audubon who first declared the vibrant flowers he spotted in the woods to be the “Louisiana Iris.” Audubon would never know the full wisdom behind his selection. Centuries later that flower would commonly bloom in hues of purple and gold, popular choices in Louisiana – where those colors are carried into battle on the capital’s football field and where they comprise two-thirds of the colors popularized by the state’s Carnival.
Nevertheless, in 1900 the Louisiana legislature declared the magnolia, not the iris, to be the official state flower, but why? First, the magnolia is already claimed by Mississippi. Secondly, its trees have proved to be weaklings in the face of traumatic events such as hurricanes. And thirdly, the trees, when they do grow, have a bad habit of dropping leaves year-round and sprouting roots that do not run deep preferring to crack sidewalks and streets along their path. Plus, the magnolia is so Scarlet O’Hara, so old Georgia, more about the South than about Louisiana. Now, five score and 23 years later, maybe it is time to reconsider.
Not only is the Louisiana species of the iris the only flower to carry the state’s name, but it also embraces the swamps, bayous and lagoons, displaying a palate of color each April.
True, irises do not offer the fragrance of magnolias, but neither do they turn yellow when touched. (Magnolia blossoms can be like chameleons treating their worshippers as predators.) Magnolias bloom in trees way above the ground condescendingly looking down at us. The iris grows like we did, from the ground up, though stopping at waist level for easy viewing. They are democratic in their nature – close to the people with none of the magnolia’s attitude. In this a statewide election year, we propose the stately iris, rather than the showy magnolia drenched in cheap perfume, as the state flower.
Photos provided by Errol Laborde
Surely whatever interests prodded the 1900 legislature into canonizing the magnolia are long gone – so are the legislators. Audubon even included irises in the background of some of his bird painting and in his writings referred to the flower as the “Louisiana flag.” No flora is as much a part of the state’s cultural and artist history as is the iris and its hybrids.
I concede that this is a difficult case to make as summer nears and the magnolia comes in bloom. But now is the season to behold the iris, which is in its glory, though fleeting, during April. The magnolia’s political clout may come from being at its peak at the same time that the legislature is in session. We trust though that the lawmakers can see past this. And please, a note to the Azalea Lobby: None of your species have Louisiana in their name.
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Have something to add to this story, or want to send a comment to Errol? Email him at errol@myneworleans.com. Note: All responses are subject to being published, as edited, in this article. Please include your name and location.
SOMETHING NEW: Listen to “Louisiana Insider,” a weekly podcast covering the people, places and culture of the state. LouisianaLife.com/LouisianaInsider, Apple Podcasts or Audible/Amazon Music.
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Errol’s Laborde’s books, “New Orleans: The First 300 Years” and “Mardi Gras: Chronicles of the New Orleans Carnival” (Pelican Publishing Company, 2017 and 2013), are available at local bookstores and at book websites.
WATCH INFORMED SOURCES, FRIDAYS AT 7 P.M., REPEATED AT 9:30 A.M. SUNDAYS.WYES-TV, CH. 12.
