Iris Tenax

Large, showy flowers of lavender-blue to purple open above leaves which are very slender for an iris, the plant often being mistaken for grass when not in bloom! Its rhizomes spread slowly, causing the plant to grow in a tight clump. Native to south-western Washington and north-western Oregon, its species name, tenax, means "tough" and refers to the strong, fibrous leaves of the plant, which were used by indigenous peoples for braiding into snares and other cordage.