The cultivar Orville Fay is a violet-blue with a yellow and white blaze and dark veins. It stands 36 inches high with large 5-inch flowers in early to mid season, while the thin, grass-like foliage remains a highlight throughout the summer. In 1971 Orville Fay was awarded Honorable Mention by the American Iris Society, and in 1976 it received the prestigious Morgan Award. Siberian irises lack the beard of colored hairs at the base of each fall that other iris groups have. Typically these irises grow together in thick clumps that keep out weeds. The classic Fleur de Lys, which has been a symbol of royalty throughout history was an adaptation of the iris flower. The name iris was taken from the Greek goddess of the rainbow to symbolize the many colors of this flower.