Abbeville Red Iris

The Abbeville Red Iris: The rarest species of Louisiana iris is Iris nelsonii. This iris is very special because it is the only plant that is endemic to Louisiana, specifically in Vermilion Parish, which means that it does not naturally grow anywhere else. Iris nelsonii is relatively large, growing 4-6 feet tall. The flowers are red or red-purple (sometimes pale yellow). Its natural range is restricted to a single swamp in Vermilion Parish, which is privately owned. It has been introduced to Palmetto Island State Park to make it viewable to the public. For its habitat it prefers cypress-tupelo gum swamps with fluctuating water levels. 

Planting Palmetto: You can see the Abbeville Red Iris in it's native habitat. On October 18th, 2011, Friends of Palmetto Island joined Palmetto Island State Park, Wildlife and Fisheries and Office of State Park’s staff to plant 100 rhizomes of native Abbeville Red Iris back within the park for everyone to enjoy. Establishing the Abbeville Red Iris in the park was a cooperative effort through a partnership between LA Office of State Parks and LA Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries. Wildlife and Fisheries provided the funding and Office of State Parks provided the location.  In 2023, LA State Parks gave Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) permission to maintain and enhance the exhibit. Read more about this partnership here.

Iris nelsonii information reprinted with permission of LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. View the Iris nelsonii fact sheet here.