State Prints - TN Treasures Iris

The Iris (Iridaceae) became the "State Cultivated Flower" of Tennessee in (1933). The iris is an
herbacious perennial of which there are about 170 species, including several North American
varieties, the most common of which is the Blue Flag. While there are several different colors among
the iris, the purple iris is commonly accepted as the state flower.

In the early 1930s, garden clubs had become popular in Tennessee. With the growth of the garden
clubs, the dissatisfaction with the passion flower as a representative of the state grew. The supporters
of the iris moved to have it designated the official state flower. They claimed that the passionflower
was never "officially" adopted and they managed to have legislation passed adopting the iris as
Tennessee's state flower.

If the iris supporters thought that the passion flower had been forgotten, they were wrong. Criticisms
flew and the arguments between the two groups were often heated. In 1973, after forty years of
argument, the Tennessee legislature found compromise by declaring the passion flower the official
state wildflower, and the iris the official state cultivated flower.