Grass Widow

Garden Flowers
Iris Plants
Flower Power

The Grass Widow (Olsynium douglasii) is a member of the Iris family and the sole representative of its genus in the United States.

The purple flower rests on a slim stem with surrounding thin leaves. It grows in vernal areas, in open grassy areas of the Pacific Northwest.

It's one of the earliest blooming native flowers of the season. Because the plants can grow to a height of one foot, they are easily spotted.

They can be propagated by seed and make a nice addition to a rock garden.

The picture shows the flower enlarged by a factor of two for highlight purposes.