Japanese Iris
Iris ensata
ハナショウブ
Iridaceae
Iris ensata is a wetland-edge perennial native across much of
Native Container Wildlife value: medium Maintenance: medium perennial
Planting calendar (Tokyo baseline)
Pick a region in the header to shift the window.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planting | ||||||||||||
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruiting |
Tokyo baseline: months 3, 4, 10
Growing requirements
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | bog |
| Soil | rich, retentive, slightly acidic; tolerates seasonal flooding |
| Hardiness | Tokyo lowland |
| Container | Yes · Min container size: 25 L |
| Maintenance | medium |
| Common issues | thrips in hot dry weather |
Where to source
Seedlings, divisions, or seed. Native plant suppliers in Japan are the right starting point.
- Search Japanese suppliers for seedlings · native-plant suppliers
About this native
Iris ensata is a wetland-edge perennial native across much of
Japan, intensively bred since the Edo period — the modern
cultivar pool exceeds three thousand. The plum-rains-season
bloom is a Tokyo seasonal icon, planted at Meiji-jingu Gyoen,
Horikiri Shōbuen and other classical hanashōbu-en gardens.
Demands constantly moist soil; pond margins or "腰水"
(saucer-flooded container culture) are the standard methods.
Usage
Pond / stream margin, saucer-flooded container, the lead role
in early-summer flower-garden visits.
Practical info
| Native | Yes |
|---|---|
| Edible | No |
| Wildlife value | medium |
| Attracts |
|
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Sources
Primary references, publications, and observation data this page draws on. How sources are picked is described in About the data .
- 東京都立庭園公式 — 江戸花菖蒲
- Catalog editor (niwa, 2026-05)