Iris ensata ‘Carrot Cake’ | Japanese Water Iris | Dinner Plate Iris | Moisture Loving Perennial | Bareroot Iris Plant

Make a dramatic statement in your garden with Iris ensata ‘Dinner Plate™ Carrot Cake’, a spectacular Japanese Water Iris known for its enormous semi-double blooms and elegant upright foliage. Featuring huge white flowers edged in lavender-blue with glowing yellow centers, this moisture-loving perennial creates a breathtaking display in rain gardens, pond edges, and shaded borders.

Blooming in early to mid-summer, this stunning iris produces extra-large 6–8 inch flowers atop graceful sword-like foliage, adding elegance, texture, and pollinator appeal to the landscape.

🌟 Why Gardeners Love ‘Carrot Cake’ Japanese Iris

• 🌸 Massive 6–8 inch “Dinner Plate” blooms
• 💜 White petals edged in lavender-blue
• 💛 Bright golden-yellow centers
• 🦋 Attracts butterflies and pollinators
• 💧 Perfect for ponds, bog gardens, and rain gardens
• 🌿 Elegant upright foliage
• 🦌 Deer resistant and low maintenance

🌱 Plant Details

• Botanical Name: Iris ensata ‘Dinner Plate™ Carrot Cake’
• Common Name: Japanese Water Iris
• Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Flower Color: White, Lavender-Blue & Yellow
• Foliage Color: Bright Green
• Mature Height: 30–36 inches
• Mature Spread: 18–24 inches
• Growth Habit: Upright, clumping
• Bloom Season: Early to Mid-Summer
• Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• Water Needs: High; prefers consistently moist soil
• Soil Needs: Rich, slightly acidic, moisture-retentive soil
• Hardiness Zones: 4–9
• Characteristics: Pollinator-friendly, deer resistant, water-loving, low maintenance

🌿 Ideal Garden Uses

✔ Rain gardens
✔ Pond edges
✔ Water features
✔ Bog gardens
✔ Moist perennial borders
✔ Cottage gardens
✔ Pollinator gardens
✔ Cut flower arrangements

🌸 Companion Plants

Pairs beautifully with:

• Hostas
• Astilbe
• Carex (Sedge Grasses)
• Meadowsweet (Filipendula)
• Marsh Marigold
• Ferns
• Japanese Painted Ferns

These companions thrive in similar moist soil conditions and create stunning layered plantings.

🌱 Care Tips

• Plant rhizomes shallowly, about 1 inch deep
• Prefers consistently moist or wet soil
• Best performance near ponds or water features
• Thrives in full sun but tolerates partial shade
• Water regularly during active growth
• Divide clumps every 3–4 years to maintain vigor
• Cut back foliage in late fall or early spring