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Iris laevigata
Also called Japanese Iris, Shallow Flower, Rabbit’s Ear Iris, Smooth Leaved Iris, Water Iris
Iris laevigata, the Japanese or rabbit-ear iris, is a marsh and pond iris with blue, purple, or violet flowers, and it is grown in water gardens. It needs consistently moist to wet conditions, especially shallow still water.
Iris laevigata, known as Japanese iris, rabbit-ear iris, or shallow-flowered iris (Japanese: kakitsubata カキツバタ), is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to Japan. It is related to other members of Iris subgenus Limniris, including other species of Japanese irises.
It is found growing in shallow waters and seems to prefer marshy and still ponds, although it can also be grown in damp soil if conditions are right. Flowers are usually blue, purple, or violet and have unique colour patterns, including some types with predominantly white flowers with blue spots (washino-o), and dark purples bordered with white (maikujaku).
Iris laevigata differs from other Japanese irises mainly in being more dependent on water and in lacking the strong midrib of the foliage. When grown from seeds, it usually germinates in 30–545 days although even under good conditions germination may be erratic. Seeds are sown about 6 mm deep in a peaty seed sowing mix at about 15–20 °C with frequent watering. Some varieties are almost ever-blooming even in mild climates, which makes it a good candidate for water gardens in temperate zones.
This plant has been cultivated in Japan for more than a thousand years and some varieties mentioned in Japanese gardening books in the late 17th century are still in existence.
Iris acutiloba subsp. lineolata · Iris acutiloba · Iris adriatica · Iris afghanica · Iris alberti · Iris albomarginata · Iris alexeenkoi · Single Bract Iris · Iris antilibanotica · Stool iris · Iris arenaria · Iris assadiana
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Iris laevigata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
