Iris ensata seed
LATIN NAME: IRIS ENSATA
COMMON NAME: Japanese Water Iris
In the wet meadows and the lake margins of the east, the Japanese water iris grows as a sturdy, clumping, perennial herb with the bold fans of bright-green, sword-shaped leaves and the large, flattened, violet-blue flowers with their yellow-flushed falls, opening in the early summer. It spreads steadily into a bold, upright clump, and it stands the cold winters and the wet, rich soils well. Sun or partial shade brings out its best, in rich, moist ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Japanese water iris appears in the studies of the water irises of the east, its flattened violet flowers and its bold fans keeping it in view in the work on the wetland irises of the region and the ornamental irises of the water garden. The research looks at the way the flattened falls open in the early summer, the seed capsules ripen and split, and the seed biology of the hard, flat seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the pond margin and the bog garden, the Japanese water iris lifts the large, flattened, violet flowers above the bold fans and stands with its roots in the water all summer. The showy iris has been bred in the gardens of the east for centuries, and the plant makes the fine water iris, the bog-garden perennial and the plant of the sunny, wet garden. It is a plant for the sunny, wet, rich and open place.
To grow the Japanese Water Iris from seed, after a cold, moist spell, sow the seeds on wet, leafy soil.
After a cold, moist spell, sow the seeds on wet, leafy soil, and keep the young irises in the sunny, moist spot. The violet flowers open with the early summer.
LATIN NAME: Iris ensata
COMMON NAME: Japanese Iris
The Japanese iris is one of the most dramatic flowers in the iris family, with blooms that seem almost too perfect to be real. It steadily establishes a rounded crown, eventually 5-10 metres tall. In early summer the flower stems rise above the foliage, each carrying one to three huge, flat blooms, often 15 centimetres or more across, in rich shades of purple, violet-blue, pink and white, with a glowing yellow signal patch at the centre. The flowers have an elegant, almost painterly quality, and they are the centrepiece of the famous iris festivals of Japan.
The Japanese iris belongs to the iris family, Iridaceae, and it is native to the wet meadows, stream banks and marshes of East Asia, from Japan through China and Korea. It is a hardy perennial that thrives in moist, even boggy, conditions, and it has been cultivated in Japan for over five hundred years.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing Japanese iris from seed is a patient project with a spectacular reward. The flat, papery seeds ripen in capsules in late summer, and they need a period of cold, moist conditions to germinate, so sow them in pots of moist seed compost in autumn and leave them outdoors through winter, or chill them in the fridge for six to eight weeks first. In spring, bring the pots to a bright, cool spot and keep them moist. Germination can be slow and uneven, so be patient. Grow the seedlings on in pots, keeping them well watered, for a year or two before planting them out in moist, rich soil by a pond or in a damp border. In time, you will be rewarded with flowers that will stop visitors in their tracks.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Japanese iris is a major subject of ornamental breeding and horticultural research. It has been cultivated and bred in Japan for centuries, and breeders have developed thousands of cultivars with huge flowers in many colours, making it one of the most studied and refined garden irises in the world. In plant science, its wetland tolerance makes it useful in research on plants for rain gardens, pond margins and water-treatment plantings, where it thrives in saturated soil. It has also been used in studies of iris genetics and flower development. Its striking blooms and its tolerance of wet conditions make it a valuable plant for gardeners and researchers alike.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the Japanese iris is a friend to wetland wildlife. Its large flowers feed bees, butterflies and other pollinators, and it thrives in moist, boggy places, stabilising pond margins and stream banks and providing cover for frogs and insects.
Its economic value lies mainly in ornamental horticulture. It is a prized garden plant, grown for its spectacular flowers in borders, beside ponds and in bog gardens, and it has a strong place in the nursery and cut-flower trades. For a grower, Japanese iris is a high-value perennial with steady demand, and for a gardener it brings some of the most striking flowers you can grow in a moist spot.
Iris ensata, commonly referred to as Japanese Iris. This variety has a beautiful purple/deep lavender flowers. The photo shows the 6+ inch flowers. The graceful arching, leaves soar up to four feet tall when established. These need moisture to grow and can even be potted in a pond about halfway up the container. Plant in a regular garden or border area with irrigation. These grow in all zones. seeds of Iris ensata spontanea Japanese Iris Sword leafed Iris. This Japanese Iris is a hardy perennial which has large blooms of bright red-purple on thick stems up to 36inches tall. Full sun, moisture a must in bog or even submerged in ponds or pools during the warmer months.