Violet Swallows

Violet Swallows  At 60 inches — a full five feet — it towers over everything around it, carrying pastel violet falls marked with something unusual: fine dark violet lines radiating out from a bright yellow signal like eyelashes. Small white standards and pale yellow style arms finish the flower.

Registered by Chad Harris in 2015 and introduced through Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm the following year. It earned an Honorable Mention in 2019, an Award of Merit in 2022, and in 2024 took the Randolph Perry Medal — the highest honor the American Iris Society gives a species cross.

Technically this is a species hybrid rather than a true Japanese iris, bred from 'Gubijin' crossed with a complex Japanese iris seedling line. It grows and blooms like a Japanese iris and belongs in the same conditions, but the registration reflects its mixed parentage. Blooming late, it closes out the season at full height.

Give it moisture, especially through spring, and slightly acidic soil — it won't tolerate lime. Full sun for the best performance. Hardy in zones 4–8.