Miniature Irises

This field is blanketed in miniature yellow and purple Irises - they are just 10cm to 30cm tall. Known as Iris Nain, Iris des Garrigues or Iris Jaunâtre (Latin Iris Lutescens) they flower in early spring a few weeks before the more common and taller purple variety. The arid limestone soils known as Garrigue is their habitat, but seeing them in these numbers is fairly exceptional. The pictures were taken on the ridge that starts on the pine tree hill behind the village and borders the Hérault valley south-east towards Paulhan.