Iris ensata Harlequinesque

Japanese iris Harlequinesque has huge, up to 20 cm large, flat, flowers. The white flowers have a number of tiny purple spots in the centre and especially at the edges. This perennial looks especially good next to a pond or in a wooded area, but it will grow well in any slightly damp spot in the garden.

How to grow Japanese iris

Iris ensata is a full-sun iris growing naturally in open wet fields in eastern Asia. Iris ensata has a vertical growth habit like most other iris species. Its large flowers come in different shades of blue. It needs to be grown in an acid humus-rich soil, with regular watering between early March and the end of July. Iris ensata can be planted in a sunny place in the garden, at the banks of a pond or slow flowing streams, or in wet places that are not flooded during the winter. It may prove necessary to cover the young plants through the first winter (with mulch, straw or bark shavings etc.) especially in the case of late planting.