Growing water iris

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Water iris are members of the iris family that are water loving plants.

Water iris include-

Louisiana iris hybrids

Pseudacorus or yellow flag iris

Iris Laevigata

Japanese iris(I.ensata,I.kampferi)

Siberian iris

Iris virginica

They can be grown in reliably wet

garden beds, at the water’s edge or in shallow water.

They all tolerate frost.

They will grow in full sun or part shade.

They will grow and flower in a wide range of climates and are suitable for Australian conditions.

Louisiana iris are evergreen, doing much of their growth during the colder months and flowering in early spring.

The other iris families are all deciduous briefly during winter.

Japanese iris prefers to dry out during its dormant period in winter.

Planting and care of Water Iris

All water iris can be planted during Autumn. You should have a good piece of rhizome with roots and a growing tip.

If planting in pot, line a plastic pot with a double layer of newspaper, to prevent soil escaping into the pond. Fill the bottom two thirds of the pot with a well fertilized soil, ideally a sandy clay loam. Place the rhizome so it sits near the top of the pot with the growing tip pointed at the center of the pot. fill the top third of the pot with plain, unfertilized soil.

Place the potted plant in a shady position and water regularly for a week or two till new growth is seen then move the pot into the water. For Louisiana iris the water level should be at the top of the pot or up to 10 cm above it.

Recommended fertilizer is a mix of pelletized poultry manure and blood and bone

If growing the iris in a bog, dam edge or wet garden bed, enrich the soil with fertilizer then plant rhizomes so their top is level with the soil surface. Plants in soil or dams can be feed by broadcasting pellets around the bases in the period after flowering to build up strength for the following year.

Repotting or feeding of potted iris is recommended each year to two years to retain a good flower display.