- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Liliopsida
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Iridaceae
- Genus
- Iris
Introduced and invasive status
Invasive in Ohio: Ohio Department of Agriculture (opens in a new tab)
Also listed
- Introduced in Ohio: iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
- Introduced and assessed as invasive in the lower 48 states
Ohio law lists it as an invasive plant: not native to Ohio, and causing, or likely to cause, economic, environmental or human health harm.
iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.
US-RIIS assesses a species as invasive when it causes, or is likely to cause, harm there, or is at least locally abundant and harmful ecologically, economically, or to health.
Status: Simpson A, Sellers E, Pagad S (2023). United States Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (US-RIIS), ver. 2.0. U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KFFTOD (opens in a new tab)
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 2 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (36)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (47)
- Recorded, season not shown (3)
- Season shown (2)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Allen County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ashland County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ashtabula County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Athens County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Auglaize County | No qualifying records yet |
| Belmont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Brown County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Butler County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet |
| Champaign County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clark County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clermont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Columbiana County | No qualifying records yet |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Crawford County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Cuyahoga County | 70 · Season shown |
| Darke County | No qualifying records yet |
| Defiance County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Delaware County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Erie County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fairfield County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet |
| Franklin County | 30 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Gallia County | No qualifying records yet |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Greene County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Guernsey County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hamilton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hardin County | No qualifying records yet |
| Harrison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Highland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hocking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Holmes County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Huron County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jackson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lake County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Lawrence County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Licking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Logan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Lorain County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lucas County | 33 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Madison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Mahoning County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Marion County | No qualifying records yet |
| Medina County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Meigs County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Mercer County | No qualifying records yet |
| Miami County | No qualifying records yet |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet |
| Montgomery County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morgan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morrow County | No qualifying records yet |
| Muskingum County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet |
| Perry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pickaway County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Sandusky County | No qualifying records yet |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet |
| Seneca County | No qualifying records yet |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet |
| Stark County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Summit County | 169 · Season shown |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | No qualifying records yet |
| Union County | No qualifying records yet |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Warren County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Washington County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wayne County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Williams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Wood County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Lake County
Not enough evidence
Records per week from 23 records in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Yellow Iris | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 54 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 82 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 58 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 89 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 51 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 54 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 51 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 155 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 190 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 166 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 1 | 1 | 234 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 425 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 525 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 522 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 1 | 1 | 844 |
| May 3–9 | 0 | 0 | 1,247 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 647 |
| May 17–23 | 2 | 2 | 950 |
| May 24–30 | 5 | 2 | 1,067 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 9 | 6 | 1,073 |
| Jun 7–13 | 4 | 3 | 1,320 |
| Jun 14–20 | 1 | 1 | 1,088 |
| Jun 21–27 | 0 | 0 | 1,052 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 0 | 0 | 1,305 |
| Jul 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 1,359 |
| Jul 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 1,171 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 1,056 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 0 | 0 | 1,193 |
| Aug 2–8 | 0 | 0 | 1,090 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 745 |
| Aug 16–22 | 0 | 0 | 1,084 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 847 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 0 | 0 | 699 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 858 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 714 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 739 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 731 |
| Oct 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 723 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 475 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 425 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 371 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 271 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 271 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 197 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 182 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 81 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 111 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 96 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 289 |
Reported in flower
No records here show flowers yet, so there is no flowering season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported in fruit
No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Early May to late June, middle week May 24–30
Records per week from 740 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 295 dates. Latest record: September 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Yellow Iris | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 1 | 1 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 2 | 2 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 3 | 3 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 7 | 5 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 22 | 5 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 54 | 10 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 152 | 10 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 219 | 10 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 150 | 10 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 66 | 10 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 24 | 8 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 9 | 5 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 4 | 4 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 3 | 3 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 3 | 3 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 1 | 1 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 2 | 2 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 3 | 2 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 0 | 0 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 1 | 1 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 1 | 1 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 2 | 2 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 1 | 1 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 3 | 3 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 1 | 1 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 2 | 2 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 1 | 1 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 1 | 1 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
Reported in flower
Usually reported in flower early May to early June, middle week May 24–30.
From 54 records that show flowers. Not every photo of a plant in flower is marked as flowering, so this shows when people reported it in flower, not when it flowers.
Reported in fruit
Only 2 records here show fruit, too few to show a fruiting season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- Eurasian Sweet-Flag Acorus calamus126 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- northern blue flag Iris versicolor124 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia115 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- southern blue flag Iris virginica53 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus31 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
- Jan: no record
- Feb: recorded
- Mar: recorded
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: recorded
- Dec: no record
Not reported in Ohio in December to January, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 40%49% |
| Forest | 28%31% |
| Wetland | 21%5% |
| Farmland | 5%11% |
| Open water | 5%3% |
| Grassland and shrub | 2%0.9% |
| Barren | 0.2%0.6% |
From 401 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
740 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 735 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 5 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.