The Iris is probably the second most painted flower in art, after the rose. It is certainly lovely to look at, a delight to the eye! The Iris will add elegance to any garden.

"The Iris in Art"

"The iris has probably second place as the favored flower in great art. After the rose, which is surely No. 1, irises appear in paintings by Leonardo daVinci, Durer, Renoir, Cezanne, van Gogh, (whose famous painting “Irises” set an all-time auction price in recent years, selling for over 53 million dollars), Gauguin, and of course, Claude Monet."

"Irises also have a medicinal history, the roots being used in preparation for medicines for skin infections, syphillis, dropsy and stomach problems. Today, it is still a drug widely used to purge the liver."

See: http://www.americanmeadows.com/about-irises