Japanese Iris (Ensata)

GENERAL JAPANESE IRIS INFORMATION

Japanese iris is our most recent plant obsession. We "occasionally" pick up a couple if we come across a source. We find them a bit hard to find, so if we find some and it appears to be a reputable source, we almost always come home with one or two. Since they are not so well known in our area, it is a bit harder to learn much about them and the gardeners who grow them. We did find a site on the internet recently, but as it was all written in Japanese so we didn't understand any of the captions very well (:>).

All kidding aside, there are some very nice web sites with photo galleries where you can visit to see if the Japanese Iris flower form and growth habits would be something you would enjoy in your gardens. We have collected about 40 varieties in the past 2-3 years, so it is a new plant for us and we have much to learn from them. We have already found them to be a worthy addition to our garden. For us, the bloom season of the Japanese iris fits perfectly between the end of the bulb, azalea, lilac, peony bloom and the beginning of the daylily bloom. So if you are looking for a plant to help you keep bloom all season long, you might want to consider the Japanese Iris (aka: ensata)>

Happy gardening,
Leila & Harold Cross