I'm no iris expert. It's such a huge genus with literally thousands of crosses and cultivars... not to mention all the countless species. And I'm not really a fan of the bearded iris... I guess because they are so common and a little too ostentatious for my taste. I prefer plants with slightly more "naturalistic" looking blooms.
With that being said, I'm about to contradict myself in my adoration of these Japanese hybrids. First off, let me explain what these are. "Pseudatas" as they are called are hybrids between two old-world water iris. The first is the dreaded Iris psuedoacoris or yellow flag, often mistakenly planted as our native flag iris. Please avoid this plant because it will literally choke out everything! Yellow flags are native to North Africa and other European and Middle Eastern regions, but it has naturalized here in North America.
The other parent is the exquisitely beautiful Japanese Water Iris (Iris ensata). These are common in gardens, but I find them bit too big-blooming for my taste. And probably a more valid reason I avoid them is because I really don't need another plant-collecting obsession. My checking account is already stretched to the max with all my current addictions.
While there are many x Psuedata cultivars, I've only had experience with 4 or 5. And among these, the 2 mentioned below are my favorites.
The purple iris with the yellow eye to the left is named 'Shiryukyo'. I planted it last year in full sun at my mom's house, and it's bulked up nicely and flowered just a few days ago. It's already around 4 feet tall and forming a considerable clump! I'm definitely going to share this with my plant-obsessed friends.
The second pseudata is white but with a prominant eye. It's cultivar name 'Shirabyoshi' apparently means a "white or pale girl dancing" in Japanese. I bought this one 5 or 6 years ago from Ensata Gardens, and I've divided and shared it many times.
These iris do love water, however, they will also grow in average garden conditions when given supplemental moisture in times of drought. And like all the big irises, they love full sun! Deer are rarely a problem, and you really don't have to worry about all the insects and diseases that often plague the big bearded types.
I could go on and on and wax rhapsodic about these iris, but I'm trying to write more concisely, lol. Anyway, if you want to purchase these iris, use Google. Ensata Gardens and Plant Delights were my sources.
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