Japanese name: ソライロキキョウアヤメ（空色桔梗菖蒲） Scientific name:Aristea ecklonii
[Overview]
An evergreen perennial 60–80 cm tall.
It has thickened underground stems.
The leaves grow from the base in a fan shape and are linear, 30–50 cm long and 1.5–2 cm wide.
Branching flower stalks are produced, with lanceolate bracts at each node, and inside each bract are blue-purple 6-petaled flowers 1.5 cm across.
The flowers open in the morning and wither by evening, lasting only one day, but they bloom one after another.
The fruit is a capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate mainly from seed, but division is also possible.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained site.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
