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Iris ensata Dinner Plate Blueberry Pie - Japanese Water Iris

Iris ensata Dinner Plate Blueberry Pie
Japanese Water Iris, Sword-leaved Iris, Butterfly Iris

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A Japanese iris that produces huge 15cm (6in) flowers in summer, flat, somewhat soft, velvety, more or less double, in a powerful violet-blue to purple-blue colour, illuminated by a lemon yellow signal in the centre. It is a rhizomatous perennial that thrives in moist soil, comfortable on the banks of a pond or in waterlogged soil in summer. It can be grown in full sun or light shade, with the stump planted 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) above the water level, in light, acidic to neutral soil. Its cut flowers are sublime in bouquets!
Flower size
15 cm
Height at maturity
60 cm
Spread at maturity
50 cm
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -29°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil, Damp soil
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Best planting time March to April
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November
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Flowering time July to August
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Description

Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Blueberry Pie' is a spectacular Japanese water iris that produces huge flat, more or less double, velvety flowers, of a beautiful bluish-violet colour with purple highlights, animated by small yellow signals in the centre. It is a mid-season variety that usually flowers in July. In contrast to our garden irises, this rhizomatous perennial is comfortable in non-limestone and waterlogged soils in summer. Superb when planted in mass in wet areas and on the banks of water points, Iris ensata were once intensely cultivated in Japan, especially around Edo (the ancestor of Tokyo), for cut flowers. 

Iris ensata (synonym kaempferi), hanashōbu in Japanese, better known as Japanese Water Iris, have nothing in common with our classic garden irises, except for their membership in the Iridaceae family. The original Iris ensata is a fibrous rhizome plant native to Asia, specifically from the wetlands of Japan, the Himalayas, and Siberia. These irises, known to be difficult to cultivate, like acidic and peaty soils (cannot tolerate excess limestone), are thirsty for water during their growth and flowering period, but appreciate slightly less damp soils in winter : in nature, they are found above the often low winter water level, which rises again in spring with the melting snow. 

The cultivar 'Dinner Plate Blueberry Pie' is a recent horticultural creation from the 'Dinner Plate' series, which brings together varieties with oversized and remarkably coloured flowers. This magnificent 'Blueberry Pie' variety forms an erect, rather upright clump composed of fine leaves. The plant will reach approximately 60cm (24in) in height when in bloom and 50cm (20in) in width. This iris slowly spreads on the ground through its rhizomes, beautifying year after year. The foliage, deciduous in winter, of a medium green colour, is composed of long, slender, sheathing leaves with a prominent central vein. The non-remontant flowering is in summer, more or less early depending on the climate. Flower stems emerge from the clumps of leaves. Each one carries 2 to 3 very large flat flowers with a diameter of 15cm (6in). Each flower is composed of 6 large, flat, horizontal sepals, very undulated, topped with 3 slightly smaller petals and 3 erect styles. The sepals are a dark bluish-violet, more purple towards the edge. In the centre of the flower, bright yellow signals illuminate the whole. 

Often cultivated on the banks of ponds and basins, Iris ensata, like many marsh plants, can live with their "feet" in water during summer, but their rhizomes do not tolerate being submerged during winter, especially if it is freezing. In our gardens, these Japanese irises will thrive in loamy soil, well lightened with compost, but not drying out in summer. For example, plant them in a heavy soil forming a slight depression, at the bottom of a slope, or on a bank that becomes moist through capillarity. Associate Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Blueberry Pie' with Anemone rivularisDarmera peltata, Lobelia 'Queen Victoria', Astilbes, Lysimachias and Ligularias for example.

Flowering

Flower colour blue
Flowering time July to August
Inflorescence Spike
Flower size 15 cm
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms
Flowering description Intense violet-blue with a yellow signal.

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green
Foliage description Deciduous.

Plant habit

Height at maturity 60 cm
Spread at maturity 50 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Iris

Species

ensata

Cultivar

Dinner Plate Blueberry Pie

Family

Iridaceae

Other common names

Japanese Water Iris, Sword-leaved Iris, Butterfly Iris

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference18737

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Planting and care

Iris ensata prefer a damp and marshy, turf, limestone-free soil. They also tolerate a simply moist soil, even if it is not waterlogged, as long as it does not dry out in summer. On the other hand, they prefer a rather dry soil in winter. We have planted them near an artificial stream, where the water level is kept high during the summer. In winter, we let the level drop by about 15cm (6in), so that the stumps are above the water, as in nature where the river levels decrease in winter and rise again in spring with the melting of snow. Their cold resistance is excellent up to about -18°C (-0.4°F). It is even increased if the soil is dry.

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Planting period

Best planting time March to April
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Pond edge
Type of use Border
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 5 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil, Rich and clayey or peaty.

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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