Irises for wet or moist soil

Stately perennials with stiff upright leaves, shooting upwards from the base.They have brightly coloured flowers, usually smaller than those of border irises.

These irises need reliably damp soil (ideally acidic) in a sunny position to thrive. They can be grown in containers placed on a shelf at the edge of a pond.

They will not grow in dry soil or in deep shade. Water irises tolerate ordinary garden soil, but grow with less vigour than when planted in wet ground.

The flowers of water-loving Iris pseudocorus are familiar as a heraldic symbol – their shapes have been adapted to make the fleur-de-lys and (it's sometimes thought) the Prince of Wales feathers.