wild irises

Yellow flag iris, is a perennial aquatic plant native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa. It was first introduced to North America in the 1800s as an ornamental plant for ponds and water gardens. The plant has since spread to many waterways. The first recorded Canadian sighting of yellow iris was in Newfoundland in 1911. It was found in Ontario in 1940. Today it grows in most Canadian provinces, including parts of southern Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, the east coast of Prince Edward Island and the west coast of British Columbia. It is also found in many American states, and in temperate areas worldwide. Several American states ban it or list it as a noxious weed.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Ontario, Canada