Overview

Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Cheesecake' (Dinner Plate Series) is a upright herbaceous perennial in the genus Iris, part of the Iridaceae family, with blue-green foliage. Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Cheesecake' (Dinner Plate Series) grows best in full sun, and tolerates sandy soils and neutral pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H7. Suggested uses include border planting and architectural plant.

About

Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Cheesecake' (Dinner Plate Series) is an upright herbaceous perennial in the Iridaceae with blue-green foliage. It flowers from May to July. Plant in full sun on neutral, sandy, dry soil in a south-facing, sheltered position. Suited to border planting or used as an architectural specimen.

About the genus

Iris takes its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, and for once the naming feels entirely earned. I can't think of another genus that covers so much ground — inky purples, burnt apricots, clean whites, blues that seem lit from inside — or so many situations. There are bearded irises that want their rhizomes baked in full sun, Siberian types happy in ordinary border soil, and species that will sit contentedly at the edge of a pond. What they share is the flower: three petals standing up, three falling away, built with a kind of architectural confidence most plants never attempt. Even out of bloom the foliage earns its place — those upright fans of blue-green leaves hold a border together for months. I grow them for the fortnight in May and June when nothing else in the garden can compete, and I've made my peace with that. Some plants are for the long haul. An iris is an event.

Written by Henry

In the garden

A cultivar in the Dinner Plate Series, Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Cheesecake' (Dinner Plate Series) belongs to the Iridaceae and carries the upright habit typical of bearded and beardless irises. The clump-forming, herbaceous growth shows blue-green leaves that form a distinctly vertical fan of foliage through the growing season. Flowering occurs from May to July. For best performance give a sunny, south-facing site with protection from strong winds; exposure should be sheltered. It prefers sandy, neutral soil that stays on the dry side, so avoid heavy, water-retentive ground. The plant is rated H7, meaning it is fully hardy for UK gardens and will tolerate normal winter conditions without special winter protection. Place Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Cheesecake' (Dinner Plate Series) towards the back of mixed borders or where a strong upright element is required in a structural herbaceous scheme. Its season of bloom and vertical leaf fans suit formal and informal borders where summer flowers are needed between late spring and mid-summer. Expect flowering to begin in May and continue into July, with the blooms carried above the blue-green foliage.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Iris

Sunlight

Full sun

Soil type

Sandy

Soil pH

Neutral

Soil moisture

Dry

Aspect

South-facing

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness

H7

Plant details

Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Cheesecake' (Dinner Plate Series) size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Upright

Foliage

Blue-green

Suggested uses

Border planting, Architectural plant

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Iris ensata 'Dinner Plate Cheesecake' (Dinner Plate Series)

Propagation

Division, Seed

Pest resistance

Resistant

Disease resistance

Resistant

Frequently asked questions

More in the Iris genus

• 
  Iris 'Antigone' (TB)
• 
  Iris 'Dauntless' (TB)
• 
  Iris 'Dipped in Dots' (TB)
• Iris 'Ablaze' (MDB)
• Iris 'After the Storm' (TB)
• Iris 'Aldo Ratti' (TB)
• Iris 'Alene's New Love' (SDB)iris 'Alene's New Love'
• Iris 'Alpine Lake' (MDB)