Butterflies in Flight Japanese Iris

If iris to you are those bearded iris that grow best in hot, dry places, then let us introduce you to something very different in the big world of iris. Japanese people love poetic names for their plants, and the Butterflies in Flight Japanese Iris has a name that is both poetic and accurate. The stunning flowers, large and held horizontal, have delicately-veined, sky-blue petals and a purple-blue center, and do indeed look like a flight of butterflies in your garden. Quite different in appearance to bearded iris, this plant forms a vertical clump of slender green leaves, to about 2 feet tall, and flower stems rise about a foot above that. Foliage stays strongly vertical most of the season, although may arch over a bit by late summer. It is a spectacular addition to your perennial gardens, blooming later than bearded iris do. Of course it’s a natural for your Japanese themed space, looking perfect beside a pond. A water-lover, it doesn’t need to be planted directly in water, although you can, but only in summer – more details of that below. A superb plant of amazing grace and charm.

• Narrow green leaves make a bold, vertical clump that is a great accent
• Spectacular large blooms of veined, sky-blue with purple, held horizontally
• An obvious choice for a Japanese-themed garden, but great in all gardens
• Cold-hardy, and grows in ordinary soil, but not drought tolerant
• Great choice to plant beside a pond, or along a stream

You should plant your Butterflies in Flight Japanese Iris in full sun to get the best blooming. Grow it in any rich soil, from regular garden soil to standing in a few inches of water. It is winter hardy in zone 4, yet happy in hot, humid zones too. It isn’t eaten by deer or rabbits, and is free of the nasty pests and diseases that trouble bearded iris. Cut down flower stems once they are over, and foliage in fall, once it yellows. Be careful of the green tips that are often already showing in fall. If you grow beside water, note that plants need drier conditions in winter, so if you don’t drain your pond, grow it in a pot that you can stand on the ground for winter, and keep it on the dry side.