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The Greater New Orleans Iris Society is deeply committed to the conservation of Louisiana’s legacy of wild, native irises. We are intent on preserving and propagating the iris species, enhancing iris plantings in multiple settings, and promoting the understanding of Louisiana irises and their relationship to the environment.

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The four major links on this page lead you to the specifics of our approach, and they include a comprehensive visual inventory of the major places that Louisiana irises can be seen in South Louisiana.

The Species Preservation pages describe the Society for Louisiana Irises Species Preservation Project in which GNOIS is a major "steward." Our conservation activity is structured as described here.

The Propagation pages describe our overall approach to developing irises for conservation projects. This approach builds upon the Species Preservation Project and is at the heart of what GNOIS does to promote the conservation of Louisiana irises.

The Where To Find Them section presents a visual tour of locations where Louisiana irises can be seen in both naturalistic and garden settings, and it describes work our members have done to enhance some of these sites.

The Education link shows several GNOIS publications, but the educational mission in fact is achieved by the work in all of these areas.

Taken together, these pages describe the Conservation and Education Program of GNOIS.

Louisiana is unique in the number of species found, their proximity, and the tendency for "hybrid zones" to produce diverse natural forms.  Four of the five species in the Series Hexagonae (the taxonomic group that encapsulates the "Louisiana irises") occur in Louisiana - I. fulva, I. giganticaerulea, I. brevicaulis, and I. nelsonii

While three of these species are native to other states as well, their concentration within the State of Louisiana creates an obvious local responsibility when they are threatened. The Conservation and Education Program represents the GNOIS response to this obligation.

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REFERENCES

For a general overview of the Louisiana iris species, see the Zydeco Louisiana Iris Garden species pages 

Society for Louisiana Irises, The Louisiana Iris:  The Taming of a Native American Wildflower, 2nd ed., Timber Press, 2000, Chapter 1, "History of Louisiana Irises"