Iris laevigata, commonly known as Japanese Iris, is a deciduous perennial herb native to wetlands, such as marshes and the margins of ponds and rivers in East Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, and the Russian Far East. It typically grows to a height of 30-90 cm (12-35 inches) with a similar spread. The plant forms clumps of sword-shaped leaves and produces large, showy flowers in early to mid-summer. The flowers are typically blue, purple, or violet, often with intricate veining or patterns, and can be quite striking with various cultivars offering different color combinations, such as ’Washino-o’ with white flowers and blue spots, and ’Maikujaku’ featuring dark purples edged with white.

Japanese Iris is valued for its ornamental flowers and is often used in water gardens, along pond edges, and in bog gardens due to its affinity for moist conditions. It is also used in traditional Japanese gardens. This species requires consistently moist to wet soil and full sun to part shade to thrive. It is tolerant of standing water, making it suitable for planting at the water’s edge or in shallow water. While it can be grown from seed, propagation by division after flowering is more common for maintaining cultivar characteristics. Potential problems include iris borer, rhizome rot, and leaf spot diseases. Japanese Iris is not known to be invasive outside its native range but should be monitored to prevent unwanted spread in ideal wetland conditions.CC BY-SA 4.0