Iris ensata Meteor - Japanese Iris

Iris ensata 'Meteor', is a rare variety of Japanese water iris that stands out for the delicacy of its pink colour. Resembling large exotic butterflies frozen in mid-flight, its flowers with gracefully trailing petals are completely speckled and veined with white on a background of old pink leaning towards violet. They are adorned with a small yellow signal at the base of each sepal, which guides bees to the centre of the flower. Contrary to popular belief, this iris that thrives in flooded soils also does well in flower beds, in a good limestone-free soil that remains fresh in summer, where it composes wonderful displays. Iris ensata were once intensively cultivated in Japan, especially around Edo (the ancestor of Tokyo),  for cut flowers. 

Iris ensata (synonym kaempferi), known as hanashōbu in Japanese, more commonly referred to as Japanese water iris, have little in common with our classic garden irises, except for their belonging to the iris family. The original Iris ensata is a fibrous rhizome plant native to Asia, specifically the wetlands of Japan, the Himalayas, and Siberia. These irises, known for being difficult to cultivate, thrive in acidic and peaty soils (they cannot tolerate excess limestone), are thirsty for water during their growth and flowering period, but appreciate slightly less moist soil in winter: they are found in nature growing above the water level, which often recedes in winter and rises again in spring with the melting snow. 

The 'Meteor' cultivar forms an erect, rather upright clump, reaching about 80cm (32in) in height when flowering (50cm (20in) for the foliage) with a spread of 40 to 50cm (16 to 20in). The plant slowly spreads on the ground through its rhizomes, becoming more beautiful year after year. The deciduous foliage, of medium green colour, consists of long and slender ribbon-like leaves, sheathing at the base, marked by a prominent central vein. The flowering occurs between June and August, depending on the climate, lasting for 3 good weeks. Flower stalks emerge from the clusters of leaves. Each stalk bears 2 to 3 large flowers measuring 12 to 15cm (5 to 6in) in diameter. They are composed of 3 large, gracefully trailing sepals finely veined and speckled with white on a background of old rose-lilac, adorned with a bright yellow signal at the base, topped with 3 smaller and finer upright petals of a deeper pink-violet colour. The centre of the flower is occupied by 3 petal-like styles of the same colour.

Often cultivated on the banks of ponds and basins, Iris ensata, like many marsh plants, can tolerate having 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 Iris ensata will thrive in a well-drained soil enriched 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 where the soil becomes moist through capillarity. Combine Iris ensata 'Meteor' with Anemone rivularis, daylilies, Darmera peltata, Lobelia 'Queen Victoria', Astilbes, Physostegia virginiana, Lysimachias, and Ligularias.