Japanese name: カンザキアヤメ（寒咲菖蒲） Scientific name:Iris unguicularis
[Overview]
A perennial about 15–30 cm tall.
It has a rhizome.
The leaves are linear, about 50 cm long, and firm in texture.
The flowers are purple, about 8 cm across, with 6 tepals; the 3 outer tepals are obovate and have a pattern of yellow and purple on a white ground at the base.
The inner tepals are oblong and stand upright.
The flower color is rarely wisteria-pink or white.
The fruit is a capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by division.
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 unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
Fertilizer can be sparing; if basal fertilizer is applied, almost none is needed, but for potted plants a small amount of chemical or organic fertilizer may be placed on the soil after flowering.
When flowering is over, cutting off the flower stalk entirely keeps the plant from becoming exhausted.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
