Iris foetidissima Stinking Iris

A perennial Iris which, unlike Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus), is extremely drought tolerant and able to grow in dry habitats such as sand dunes and on sea cliffs. It is also shade tolerant and throughout its range in Britain, where it is mostly a southern species, it can be found in woodland and in hedgebanks. It also grows in churchyards in some parts of Britain. Its typical iris leaves grow in robust tufts and when crushed give off a very distinctive roast beef-like smell. Many people know it better and more evocatively as the Roast-beef Plant, rather than by its official, unflattering name, Stinking Iris. The distinctive, elegantly marked, grey-purple flowers are short-lived and wither away quickly in dry places. They are eventually replaced by green pods containing orange-red berries which are attractive to birds, who play a major role in dispersing the seeds. It is largely a coastal plant of sand dunes and dune woodlands in West Glamorgan but it is also recorded inland occasionally. Although most of our populations are native some may be derived from garden escapes and throw-outs. Like other Iris species, Iris foetidissima contains large amounts of the toxic isoflavone, iridin as well as other phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds, quinones and terpenes.

Native