Irises are mainly grown for their distinctive and colourful flowers. Each flower has three clearly identifiable “falls”, some of which may have beards or crests and three upright horizontal (occasionally drooping) “standards”. Probably the most showy are the bearded irises, of which we have a range of fifty varieies or more.

The beardeless irises comprise sixteen groups of which we have two — the iris ensata, or Japanese flag, and the Siberian iris. Both groups grow to some two or three feet tall and prefer moist waterside conditions. Having said that, each will happily grow in moist open sites in full sun.

These photographs of the bearded iris, “Latin Rock”, (above) and the iris ensata (right) clearly show the difference in form and flamboyance of the two types.
The Siberian irises, above (mauve) and top centre (blue), seem to have a much more “gregarious” habit and provide an attractive splash of colour in any border.
This iris ensata “White Swirl” is a much more delicate and self-effacing plant.