Iris japonica

Native from China to Myanmar and in central and southern Japan, Iris japonica, commonly called fringed iris, is a perennial that spreads by creeping rhizomes which root at intervals. It grows along open forest margins and in wet grasslands. The white, pale blue or purple flowers have fringed edges and a yellow-orange crest, opening successively during spring. Introduced to Europe from China in 1792, it is cultivated in sheltered gardens and cool greenhouses. The species received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1994. The cultivar ‘Variegata’ has creamy-white striped leaves. Photographed in Bogotá, Colombia.