It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions almost worldwide and is a rhizomatous perennial from southern Europe, mainly Italy (including the city of Florence) and France.

It has a thick violet-scented rhizome, sword-like green or grey-green semi-evergreen leaves, a tall branched stem, and many flowers that are white and tinged or flushed with blue, pale blue, or lavender in spring or summer, and a white and yellow beard.

It is also grown to produce orris-root, a scented substance used in perfumes, soaps, tooth cleanser, and clothes washing powder.

Iris florentina has a thick or stout rhizome, which is short, fleshy, horizontal, and has a strong violet scent.

[10] It has a short pedicel (or flower stalk), and green perianth tube, that is 3.2 cm long,[17][10] it is covered normally by the spathes.

[18][11][26] The fragrant flowers,[15][19]: 121 [23] smell of violets,[2] appear in spring,[14][20][25] or early summer,[6][12][21] or mid-summer,[13][18] between late April and May,[2][10][16] : 22  or between March and May.

[10] After the iris has flowered, between July and August,[15] it produces a fusiform (spindle shaped),[15] trigonal, or oblong seed capsule.

[3] In 1973, a chemical study was carried out on Iris florentina, it found isoflavone glycosides.

[36] The Latin specific epithet florentina refers to a 'Latinised' word meaning ‘from Florence’.

[8] It was first published and described by Carl Linnaeus, in Systema Naturae Edition 10, Issue2 on page863 on 7 June 1759, as Iris florentina.

[43] Iris florentina is an accepted name by the RHS,[1] it was given the Award of Garden Merit in 1994.

[27] Botanist Desfontaines found it in Algiers, where it is grown with Iris germanica near graves.

[10] It has been naturalised in many other countries, from the Mediterranean,[2] (including west Africa and southern Spain,[19]: 121 ) to India,[5] and Iran.

[15] It naturalises along roadsides, field margins, olive groves, abandoned vineyards and other cultivated sites.

[45] It has been tested for hardiness in Russia, in the botanical gardens of; Barnaul, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg and Ufa.

[15] It can be cultivated well throughout Europe and N America, except in the warm moist climates of Florida and Gulf Coast.

[14] It is deer and rabbit resistant,[14] but can suffer from leaf spot,[1] Iris borer,[14] thrips,[1] slug and snails.

[2] The rhizomes are then left exposed, to allow the cuts to callus, then the foliage is trimmed,[2] (to reduce water loss).

[12] It has a few cultivars including; 'Alba',[38] 'Blue Zua',[39] 'Bluzugraf',[39] 'Elizabeth Huntington',[39] 'Elsie Crouch Diltz',[39] 'Firmament',[39] 'Florentina purpurea',[39] 'Gambetta',[38] 'Janet Barnes',[39] 'New Orleans' (which has light grey flowers),[44] 'Queen Emma',[38] 'Silver King',[38] and 'Zua'.

[39] Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves) and, if ingested, can cause stomach pains and vomiting.

[48] It was noted by G.R Winter (in 1948, J Periodont 19:108) that allergic manifestations can be caused by the use of a dentifrice (teeth cleaner) containing orris root powder.

[13] It has been chewed as a breath freshener, carved into rosary beads, and given to babies as a teething aid.

Suddenly, St. Reparata appeared in the midst of the fighting, holding a blood-red banner emblazoned with a white iris.

In gratitude (to St Reparata), the city adopted the symbol for its coat of arms[50] from the eleventh century onwards.

[50][53][55] During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, ‘Iris green' (or 'Verdelis' and 'Vert d'iris'),[10] was a rare, paint pigment colour used by manuscript illuminators and painters.

[10][56][57] The bluish or purplish petal juice was steeped (soaked) in boiling water, then combined and thickened with alum.

It can not be distinguished from 'sap green' (or 'verte de vessie' or 'verde di vesica') a paint juice derived from Buckthorn berries.

[54] The white flowers of Iris florentina are also used church decoration,[16]: 20  and planted around graves in the city of Florence, as a token of respect to the deceased.