Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative

March 14, 2026 New Orleans, La. The Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) has released its 2026 Louisiana Iris Viewing Locations map and annual site rankings, giving the public a guide to some of the very best places in Louisiana to see native Louisiana irises blooming in the wild this spring. The interactive map, which has become one of LICI’s most popular public outreach projects, highlights locations across south Louisiana where visitors can safely and easily view

February 18, 2026 New Orleans, La. The Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) has announced the relocation of its iris nursery propagation program to New Orleans City Park, marking an important step forward in the organization’s long-term effort to conserve and restore Louisiana’s rare native irises—especially the endangered Abbeville Red iris (Iris nelsonii). LICI has been using property owned by Common Ground Relief in the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orle

February 4, 2026 Abbeville, La. A coordinated conservation effort at Palmetto Island State Park on Monday, February 2nd, resulted in the successful relocation of several hundred native blue Louisiana irises (Iris giganticaerulea) from a roadside population near the park’s boat launch area. One of the blue Iris giganticaerulea plants, a Louisiana iris species, is shown from a clump of several hundred irises discovered growing along a road within Palmetto Island State Park