Iris Garden

The Iris Garden in Florence is located on the corner between Viale dei Colli and Piazzale Michelangelo, on the slope of a hill with olive trees, meadows, flower beds and a small lake for aquatic flowers.
It is a green oasis in the heart of the city, very special, very romantic and a little hidden away.

Opend in 1957 to host the 1st International Iris Competition, organized by the Municipality of Florence in 1954, the Garden is managed by the Società Italiana dell'Iris, formed by passionate growers of this flower, symbol of Florence since 1251; the competition is still held today, annually.

The Garden is open for around one month a year, between April and May, during the full bloom of over 1500 varieties of iris from all over the world. The Garden also has a scientific interest, as an important reserve of germplasm (iris seed bank), and is a destination for botanists, hybridizers and horticulturists from all over.