Iris ensata ‘Carrot Cake’ | Japanese Water Iris | Large White & Lavender-Blue Flowers | Moisture Loving Perennial

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

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

Why Gardeners Choose ‘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
• Ideal 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 well 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