Center of Attention is a Japanese iris with large, ruffled flowers in pale lavender-violet, veined in deeper violet, edged in silver and marked with a yellow-orange signal. It blooms after the Siberian irises finish, stretching the iris season into early summer.
Plants grow about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, with narrow, upright leaves. It makes a strong focal point in a moist border, rain garden or along a pond, and the flowers are excellent for cutting. Bees and hummingbirds visit, while deer and rabbits usually pass it by.
What it looks like
Large, flat, open flowers with broad, ruffled falls in pale lavender-violet, finely veined in darker violet and edged in silver, each marked at the base with a yellow-orange signal; the smaller upright petals and style arms are a similar soft violet. Flowers sit on slender, upright stems just above the foliage. Leaves are narrow, upright and sword-like, mid-green with a faint central rib. The plant forms an upright clump about 36 inches tall and 24 to 28 inches wide. At peak the wide, ruffled blooms look like pale violet plates floating above the leaves.
Growing it with lavender
Japanese iris wants rich, steadily moist soil that would rot lavender, so give it its own spot at a pond edge, in a rain garden or in a low, damp part of the yard.
Care
Plant in full sun to part shade in rich, acidic to neutral soil that stays consistently moist, especially from spring through bloom; they do well at pond edges but should not sit underwater in winter. Hardy in zones 4-9. Avoid lime, cut spent stems after flowering, and divide every 3-4 years in late summer to keep clumps vigorous.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Iris ensata
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Flower color: Pale lavender-violet veined darker, silver edges, yellow-orange signal
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Foliage: Mid-green
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Growth habit: Upright clump
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Mature size: 36 in tall × 24–28 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Mid-June
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Peak bloom: Late-June
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Good
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.
Lavender companion · grow guide
Community Grower Report
