Iris tectorum

Japanese Roof Iris has nice pale blue springtime flowers but I think its best attribute is its use as an attractive foliage plant for shade gardens. It has an interesting short mounding fountain-like habit that along with its wide leaves, makes an impressive display. Most people who have this drought tolerant perennial say they would grow it even if it never flowered. This virtually pest free plant grows on thatch rooftops in Japan in full sun but seems to perform best with shade in our area. The Rhizomes of this Iris were ground up to make a white powder used in make up for the white face paint of the Geisha girls. Valuable available garden space could only be used for food crops so they utilized the rooftops to grow them.