Birth flower for February 17
Reticulated iris
Meaning: hope and good news
Reticulata means netted, but it describes the bulb, not the flower: each bulb is wrapped in a coat of fibers woven like a net. It is one of the earliest bulbs of the year, often blooming while snow lingers, on stems only a hand tall. The orange ridge and white freckled patch on each fall work as a guide line leading insects to the nectar.