Q: I’ve had this houseplant for a few years now and it flowers like crazy every winter into spring. Can you help me ID it?

A: Walking iris, Neomarica gracilis is a tropical iris. It can’t stand cold soil. If you try to grow it outdoors, you’ll have to store the roots in a place that doesn’t freeze in the winter. It “walks” by producing roots where the stalks touch the ground.

Some folks call it “Apostle’s Iris” because the flower stalk arises when the plant has twelve leaves. The leaves and flowers look like a cross between an iris and an orchid.

It’s not hardy outdoors here but grows very well in the shade in Florida.