Iris ensata 'Cupcake'

"Japanese water iris"

Iris ensata 'Cupcake'

1 bare roots — £5.25

Spring planting season is currently closed 
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Delivery schedule

Orders placed until 29 February 2025
You can expect your order in February/March 2025

Orders placed 1 March - 15 April 2025
You can expect your order in March/April 2025

Orders placed 16 April - 15 May 2025
You can expect your order within 10 business days

Available for (pre)ordering again in December
Free delivery on UK orders over £50
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Shipping to the UK

UK orders over £50
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UK orders under £50
£4.99

Northern Ireland orders under £50
£5.99

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Description

Pastel-perfect Iris ensata 'Cupcake' is certainly a sweet summer treat for the eyes! The generous white blooms feature a mouth-watering array of candy colours, including lemon yellow flashes and delicate violet veining. From the Dinnerplate Series, these unmissable blooms can grow up to 15cm across, and you can be sure the bees and butterflies will appreciate this delightful confection too. It’s best to position the pretty Iris ensata 'Cupcake' in full sun for the biggest and best blooms, but it will grow quite happily in partial shade too. 

Iris ensata are much prized as marginal plants, preferring a soil which is continually moist, and somewhat boggy. A special variety like Iris ensata 'Cupcake' will be a real jewel in damp borders, pond or stream edges. The sword-shaped foliage will die back in autumn and can be trimmed to just above ground level for a neat and tidy display. This perennial is fully hardy and will grow back every year, eventually multiplying and treating you to more of those gorgeous blooms. 

Key features

  • Good for cutting

  • Perfect for pots

  • Comes back every year

  • Loved by pollinators

  • Naturalising

  • Thrives well in full sun

  • In peat-free compost

  • Low maintenance

  • Fully hardy

  • Rodent resistant

Specs & details

  • Botanical name

    Iris ensata 'Cupcake' (Dinner Plate Series)

  • Flower colour

    White, lemon/violet flashes

  • Plant size

    1

  • Established height

    50-70cm

  • Established spread

    50-70cm

  • Plant spacing

    10 plants per m2

  • Leaf colour

    Green

  • Habit

    Upright
    Clump-forming

  • Life cycle

    Perennial
    Naturalising

  • Hardiness

    Fully hardy

  • Years to establish

    1-2 years

  • Sunlight

    Full sun
    Partial shade

  • Position

    Sheltered
    Exposed

  • Suitable for

    Pots
    Large containers
    Borders
    Meadows
    Water gardens
    Coastal gardens
    Low maintenance gardens
    Cut flower gardens

  • Soil acidity

    Any

  • Soil moisture

    Damp
    Boggy

  • Soil type

    Loam
    Sandy
    Clay
    Loam-based compost
    Multipurpose compost

  • Growing skill

    Easy to grow

  • Scented

    No

  • Pollinator-friendly

    No

  • Mouse resistant

    Yes

  • Rabbit resistant

    Yes

  • Deer resistant

    No

  • Toxicity

    Skin/eyes irritant
    Harmful if eaten

Plant calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSepOctNovDec
  • Planting
  • Flowering

Useful information

    • Soak the Iris ensata 'Cupcake' roots in water for 3-6 hours prior to planting

    • Plant your "Japanese water iris" bare roots into temporary pots with a multipurpose compost in spring and grow-on in a sheltered spot outdoors

    • Choose a pot which comfortably fits the bare roots. Some have a noticeable crown which should be just below the soil surface with any top growth exposed. Some varieties are a length of root which should be planted lengthways and shallowly (1-2cm deep).

    • Plant out into borders or permanent containers in late spring or early summer once in full growth. Choose a position in sun or shade depending on the variety.

    Read all planting & care instructions

  • Orders placed until 29 February 2025
    You can expect your order in February/March 2025

    Orders placed 1 March - 15 April 2025
    You can expect your order in March/April 2025

    Orders placed 16 April - 15 May 2025
    You can expect your order within 10 business days

Perennials in 1 minute

The beauty of perennial plants doesn’t just lie in their long-lasting flowers and sturdy, resilient nature, but it’s their sheer determination to keep on coming back stronger every year —in year one they’re good, but in future years they’re even better!

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