Pushing the Limit

Pushing the Limit is the compact one. At 27 inches it stands well short of most Japanese irises, which typically run three to four feet, and that makes it useful in places the others simply don't fit — the front of a border, a small garden, a large container, or anywhere you want the flower at eye level rather than overhead. Six broad falls in deep blue violet.

Registered by Donald Delmez in 2015, one of his later introductions. Delmez, of St. Charles, Missouri, received the American Iris Society's Hybridizer Award in 2017 for his work with Japanese irises.

Midseason bloom. Japanese irises want moisture, especially through spring bloom season, and slightly acidic soil — they won't tolerate lime. Full sun gives the best performance. Hardy in zones 4–8.