Excerpts from Jim Conrad's
Naturalist Newsletter

notes from summer, 2005, in the Sierra Nevada foothills somewhat east of Placerville, California, USA
SIERRA IRIS

The Sierra Iris, Iris hartwegii, grows up to a foot tall from a creeping rootstock. Several subspecies exist, and some flowers show lavender veins in their petals. It's often fairly common in dry, open forest, as well as roadsides and lawns that are not mowed too frequently. California is home to about four wild iris species but this is the common iris of the Sierra Nevada foothills.