Japanese Iris Fascination

Lilac pink flowers up to 15cm across. The large, silken petals unfurl November to January.

The sublime elegance of Japanese Iris brings an almost magical tranquillity to the garden. The colour combinations are definitely exotic and the large petals create a magnificent display.

Traditionally they were grown on the margins of reflecting pools where their beauty was amplified. In more rural areas, they were grown on the sides of the rice paddies which were flooded for part of the year. It's this pattern of moisture during the growing period and relative dryness during the dormancy which provides the ideal growing conditions for these magnificent Iris. However, if you don't have rice paddies or ponds at home, don't despair, they are versatile and can easily be grown in almost any garden setting. All you need to do is water them regularly, feed them generously and plant them in full sun.

They do need an acid soil and won't tolerate limey soils.

If desired, you can have your Japanese Iris submerged in a pond in the traditional way but you must use pots and remove them after flowering, since the rhizomes like good drainage during their annual dormancy. Alternatively drain the area over their dormancy.

Supplied as: Bare rooted