From a bee's perspective, flying into a Bearded Iris must seem like entering the majestic hall of Valhalla.
This is the photo I am entering in the PhotoChallenge. Details: SONY RX-10, f2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO 320, 9mm
The Beard of the Bearded Iris
There are so many different kinds of Iris! I really like the Bearded Iris -- the ones with the fuzzy part that looks like a caterpillar going into the flower. It seems like this beard must be what attracts bees into the flower to pollinate it. Take a look:
Doesn't it look like that fuzzy beard must be important? But there's a lot more to this Iris story than that flashy yellow beard.
The Valhalla of the Bearded Iris
Take a look at this Bearded Iris. It's easy to see the the petals, in light blue, standing upright. They are the Standards, in Iris talk. The purple parts that hang down are the flags - they aren't really petals, but the sepals that are underneath the flowers of other plants. Gardeners over hundreds of years have bred Bearded Irises to have the showiest standards and flags. The bees don't care about any of that!
Look right above the fuzzy beard on the biggest flower. See that cap that arches over the beard like a little roof? That's what the bee cares about! Those are the style arms of the iris. That gap between the beard and the style arm leads down into the base of the flower, where all the nectar is.
Spread apart the top petals of the Iris and you can look down onto the style arms. They can be cosmic!
From a bee's perspective, flying into a Bearded Iris must seem like entering the majestic hall of Valhalla. So grand! With colors so spectacular and nectar so sweet! Can you imagine being a bumblebee entering this Bearded Iris, hovering slowly to make sure that it's OK to go all the way in to get nourishment after its heroic travels? To get the nectar, the bee has to struggle with the tight fit. That's where the pollination happens - down inside the hall, on the other side of the showy beard.
Photographing Iris
There are so many color variations in Iris. Nobody can ever grow them all! All of the Iris in this post grew in my yard. They don't take a lot of care here in Oregon's Willamette Valley. They are a lot easier to grow than to photograph!
I really struggle to take decent photos of a whole Iris flower. There is so much depth and structure to the flower. And some of the the dark Iris, like this deep purple one, seem impossible to capture with as much beauty as they have in real life.
So, inevitably, I end up focusing on their fuzzy little beard! This summer, I want to get a photo of a bumblebee going in or coming out. But that will take a lot of sitting and watching my Iris. I better plan to make plenty of Wild Faux Pink Lemonade while I sit out in the sun!
I hope you enjoyed this closer look at my Bearded Iris. And I hope you get to enjoy some Iris yourself this summer!
What Do You Think?
Do you grow any Iris? Do you have any tips on taking Iris photos? What's your favorite kind of Iris? What flowers are you putting in your garden this season? I would like to know!
** Haphazard Homestead **
*** foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land ***
