Iris, Variegated Japanese Iris

Variegated Japanese Iris is a marginal deciduous perennial with a clumping habit.  The long variegated light green and cream sword-like foliage fan upwards.  Sturdy stalks that grow from the center of the plant are topped by dark violet flowers with a yellow layered center in summer, attracting bees.  Grows best in rich, slightly acidic, moist to wet water-retentive soils.  

Type:	Perennial
Origins:	SE Siberia and East Asia
Height:	1' - 2'
Spread:	1' - 2'
Spacing:	1.5’
USDA Hardiness Zone:	4 - 8
Culture:	Full Sun, Part Sun
Bloom Color:	Purple
Season of Interest:	Summer

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Medium Maintenance.  Water regularly, then occasionally once established.  Can cut back any dying foliage after flowering.  In winter, it is intolerant of wet or boggy soils- the roots may rot- move to dryer ground for fall and winter.

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Water Gardens, Ponds and Streams, Naturalized Areas, Foundation Plantings, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS:  Sedge, Turtlehead, Joe Pye Weed

Image: Photo by David J. Stang, Iris ensata Variegata 0zz, CC BY-SA 4.0