Rhizome thick. Leaves linear, 50-80 cm long with thickened midrib, absent in winter. Stem to 1 m, rarely branched. Spathes 5-8 cm long, green, prominently veined. Flowers 2-4, 10-18 cm wide, white to blue or purple; early summer. Perianth tube 1-2 cm long; falls elliptic with yellow signal; standards shorter. I. kaempferi Lemaire.
China, Korea, Japan.
At least eight centuries of breeding in Japan have produced many cultivars of I. ensata ranging from white to dark blue and pink to purple; they have a flat form due to the spreading standards.
HIGO group plants have self-coloured solitary flowers up to 25 cm wide; they have been further developed in the USA as the MARHIGO irises.
The flowers of some cultivar groups are two-toned, or double with additional perianth segments.
Hybrid Cultivars (crosses occur with I. fulva, I. laevigata, I. prismatica, I. siberica, I. spuria, I. versicolor and I. virginica)
Source: (2005). Iridaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
Iris ensata 'Butterflies In Flight'
Double, veined mauve with yellow signals.
White single with blue veins and ruffled edges.
Iris ensata 'Enchanting Melody'
Pale pink single with ruffled edges, lilac-style branches.
White double with mauve edges.
Dark blue double with paler veins, white-style branches.
Iris ensata 'Janet Hutchinson'
White margined and stippled dark pink.Australian-raised.
A hybrid with i. ensata as one parent, 90 cm tall with larger gold flowers.
White double with pale lilac flush.
Pale blue double with white style branches.
Pink double, stippled with mauve.
Flowers golden yellow, marked in brown.
Deep purple double with yellow signals.
Pale blue double with violet edges.
