Japanese irises: varieties with photos and names

Iris (iris) is a perennial plant that is common on almost all continents. The genus consists of approximately 800 species, with all sorts of shades of flowers. Japanese irises came to gardens from Central Asia. The culture is widely used in ornamental gardening and landscape design.

Description of Japanese irises

In Japanese culture, irises are an indicator of stamina and endurance – the qualities that a samurai should have, “iris” and “warrior spirit” in the language of this country are written the same way. In Japan, there is a ritual festival where boys contemplate irises. The plant received such recognition for the shape of leaves resembling a samurai sword and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.

Irises of this species are common in Japan, China, Myanmar. They grow in wetlands and forest edges, along river banks, in meadows. They tolerate both waterlogged soils and moisture deficiency.

Characteristics of Japanese irises:

1. The form of the culture is a herbaceous shrub with straight-growing stems, simple or branched, ending in flowers. Height – 50-100 cm, depending on the variety.

   

2. Root system with a central stem and creeping processes, giving numerous basal shoots.

   

3. The leaves are xiphoid with pointed tops, their length is 60 cm, width – 3 cm. Flat without veins, dark green, with a glossy surface. The main location is at the bottom of the stem.
4. The flowers of the Japanese iris are large, up to 6 cm in diameter, arranged in 2-4 pieces at the tops of the peduncles. The lower petals are curved rounded, the central ones are narrow in the form of an ellipse with wavy or jagged edges. Painted in all shades of blue or lilac.
5. The fruit is a capsule with dark brown seeds. The flowering period depends on the variety of iris, mainly in the second half of summer.

Flowers are odorless, life cycle is 5 days.

Varieties of Japanese irises

In ornamental horticulture, cultivars of perennial plants are used, all of which are characterized by large flowers with a two-tier non-standard shape, as well as a variety of colors of perianths and inner petals that form a dome. Varieties of Japanese irises with the name and photo will allow you to choose your favorite culture for further breeding.

Vasily Alferov

Variety Vasily Alferov (Vasili Alfiorov) is the result of selection. The originator of the variety is G. Rodionenko. The culture is named after academician Alferov, the founder of the collection of Japanese irises created in post-revolutionary Our Country.

External characteristic:

• height – 1 m;
• the bush is dense, 3-4 buds are formed on one stem;
• flowers diameter – 25 cm, color dark purple with yellow fragments at the base of the perianth, the surface of the petals is velvety;
• blooms at the end of June, the duration of the period is 3 weeks.

Does not tolerate dry alkaline soil. The culture is light-loving.

Variety Vasily Alferov is the leader in frost resistance among other Japanese irises

Suitable for growing in the Central strip and in the southern regions.

Variegata

The variety of Japanese irises Variegata (Variegata) is medium tall, its height is about 70 cm. Leafy throughout the stem, the leaves are narrow, long, with pointed tops, light green with beige stripes. The color of the leaf plates does not change from the beginning of the growing season until autumn. The flowers are large – up to 30 cm in diameter, bright purple with a red tint in daylight, there is an orange patch at the base of the petals. A variety of Japanese irises blooms in July, duration – 14 days. Light-loving plant prefers moist soil.

Culture is used to decorate artificial reservoirs, rock gardens

This is an ideal option for the gardens of the Moscow region.

Rose Quinn

Rose Queen variety is a representative of light-loving irises with tall stems (up to 1 m):

• perianths are large, drooping, in the form of a drop, pale pink in color with bright purple veins and a lemon spot at the base;
• central petals are short, solid lavender;
• buds open unevenly from the second half of summer, flower life cycle – 3 days;
• flower diameter – 15-20 cm, up to 4 pieces are formed on the stem;
• the leaves are xiphoid, bright green, located at the bottom of the stem. By autumn, they turn burgundy.

A variety of Japanese irises Rose Queen is suitable for cutting, often used by florists in arranging bouquets.

Crystal Halo

The representative of Japanese irises Crystal Halo (Iris ensata Crystal Halo) is a perennial plant with late and long flowering. The cycle begins in the second half of July and continues until the end of August. The bush is dense, flower stalks grow up to 1 m in height. Flowers of medium size (up to 15 cm in diameter).

Decorative Crystal Halo gives the color of the petals

Bracts are large, rounded, arched, lilac with dark purple veins, a bright yellow fragment at the base and a light border along the wavy edge. The inner petals are dark inky.

The variety of Japanese irises Crystal Halo forms many stems with processes, each of them has 2-3 buds.

Kita No Seiza

Japanese irises Kita-No-Seiza (Iris Kita-No-Seiza) form compact bushes with intense foliage. The variety is classified as medium-sized, flower stalks reach a length of 70-80 cm. The stems are simple without branching, each ends with a flower of medium size (diameter 15 cm). The form is terry, open. Petals are rounded, light pink with white veins and a green spot at the base.

Flowering begins in July-August, its duration is 20 days

Eileens Dream

Eileens Dream (Iris ensata Eileens Dream) is one of the brightest decorative forms of Japanese irises. The plant is tall (90-110 cm), compact, the main location of the leaves is at the bottom of the stem. The flowers are large, double, with wavy edges, purple or blue with a small lemon spot. Flowering time – June-July.

Eileens Dream variety is recommended for the fourth climatic zone

Culture needs shelter for the winter.

Grown for cutting and landscaping.

Application in landscape design

Representatives of Japanese irises with a variety of colors and heights are combined with all types of flowering and evergreen plants. Ideally in harmony with ornamental shrubs. The main conditions for creating compositions are an open area without shading, as well as a neutral or slightly acidic soil composition.

Popular with designers and gardeners are flowerbeds (iridaria), created from irises with different colors of flowers. Low-growing varieties are used to decorate rock gardens, and mixborders are also created in the style of a Japanese garden.

Description and photos of design ideas for using Japanese irises:

1. Planted along the edge of the flower bed.
   
   

   Japanese irises favorably emphasize evergreen shrubs and undersized flowering plants.

2. Designed from natural stone.

   

3. Decorate the shores of an artificial reservoir.

   

4. Mass planting is used for tamping the edge of the lawn.

   

5. Create mixborders with simultaneously flowering crops.

   

6. Make out the territory of rockeries.

   

7. Placed in mass planting along the garden path.

   

8. Decorate garden areas.

   

9. Create compositions in the Japanese style.

   

Features of reproduction

You can propagate the culture by seeds, but this method is more often used to breed new varieties. To get seedlings of Japanese irises, seeds collected at the end of the growing season are sown. The seed breeding process is long, the seedlings will bloom only in the third year.

Japanese irises are propagated on the site by dividing the bush or root shoots. The difference between the methods is that in the first case, the plant is removed from the soil and cut into pieces, in the second, a piece of root with shoots is cut off with a shovel.

When dividing an adult bush, at least three leaf rosettes must remain on one root section.

Planting and caring for Japanese irises

Japanese iris (pictured) is an unpretentious plant, so planting and care will not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners. The place allotted for culture must satisfy its biological needs. Not the last role in the cultivation of irises is played by preparatory measures for winter, especially in the temperate climate zone.

Deadlines

Japanese irises are placed in the southern regions in spring (April) or autumn (October). For the Central and Middle bands, work is not recommended to be carried out in the fall, because. seedlings have a weak root system, which, even with careful shelter, will not overwinter. Japanese irises are planted in open ground in early May, when there is no threat of return frosts, and the soil has warmed up to +15 ⁰With or in the summer, so that the seedling has time to take root well.

Site selection and soil preparation

Japanese irises are light-loving flowers that lose their decorative appearance in the shade. Therefore, the following requirements are imposed on the site:

• the place should be open, protected from the influence of the north wind;
• do not use areas in the shade of large trees with a dense crown;
• the soil is suitable neutral or slightly acidic, aerated, fertile, light;
• terrain with stagnant groundwater is not allowed, but the culture feels comfortable along the banks of reservoirs.

The allotted flower bed is dug up, the roots of weeds are removed, and organic matter is added. Wood ash is not used for growing Japanese irises, and alkaline fertilizers are also not recommended. Before work, a nutrient substrate from soddy soil, compost and peat is mixed, nitrogen-containing agents and potassium are added.

Landing algorithm

If the planting material is with a peduncle, then the central stem is cut off at the root, but there must be leaf rosettes (kids) on the sides.

With a sharp knife, carefully cut off the link that has faded

The sequence of planting Japanese irises:

1. The leaves are cut at an angle.

   

2. Dig a hole along the height of the root, given 10 cm for the substrate layer.
3. The seedling is placed in the center, the roots are untangled if necessary.

   

4. Gently sprinkle with soil over the vegetative buds.
5. The soil is slightly compacted so as not to damage the surface roots of the iris.
6. The seedling is watered, you can cover the soil with mulch.

   

Features of care

Caring for Japanese irises is to fulfill simple requirements:

• the plant is spudded and covered with mulch, in the spring, this event eliminates the appearance of weeds and retains moisture;
• Water regularly to prevent the soil from drying out. It is not necessary to overfill the seedlings;
• they are fed in the spring with complex fertilizers; liquid organic matter can be applied throughout the growth period.

In autumn, the aerial part is cut off, superphosphate is added, and covered with a layer of straw. Young irises can be insulated with spruce branches.

Diseases and pests

Japanese irises do not get sick, the only problem is stagnant water and cold weather, increasing the likelihood of root rot, but this rarely occurs. Thrips parasitize on the plant, they are disposed of by pruning damaged areas and treating them with insecticides.

Conclusion

Japanese irises are represented by numerous varieties with a variety of colors, shapes and sizes of flowers. They grow a crop for cutting and decorating plots, gardens, flower beds. Japanese irises are unpretentious, do not get sick, and are rarely affected by pests. Poorly tolerate shaded areas and lack of moisture.