Small Iris found in GSMNP and in East Tennessee

Several times during April I visited the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to photograph the wildflowers. Although my timing was very close to the wildflower peak in the park there were still lots of evidence of blooms to come in a week or two. I would have liked to returned again, but just did not have time. These first 2 photos are from the park.

The bottom four photographs were from my own yard, 7 days later.

I am no expert and tried to compare the two, and not sure if they are the same or not.

The "Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers" . The title was Crested Dwarf Iris (Iris cristata), it said....Widely distributed at lower elevations of the Smokies, this beautiful iris does much to brighten the roadsides during April and May. The flower is usually a rich blue, but occasionally a light purple or even white. It is 4 to 6 inches tall and is found mostly on open slopes. Spring dwarf iris (I.verna var. smalliana) and southern blue flag (I. virginica) are the only other native species of this genius within the Park and neither are common here. They can separated on the basis that southern blue flag is the only one with a flowering stem more than 6 inches tall and crested dwarf iris has crested sepals whereas spring dwarf iris does not. Iris is the Tennessee State Flower. Look for the crested dward iris in Little River Gorge, Bud Ogle Nature Trail, and Porter Creek Trail.


Reading that and looking at my photos compared to the 2 top ones, taken in the park, I don't have a clue if mine are the same. Nor do I now know which of the iris in the park I photographed, I assume the Crested Dwarf Iris, since it is the more common. I do know I saw evidence in all 3 of the locations they mentioned and only saw actual blooms on the last day I was at the park.