Japanese Roof iris, Tectorum... a species iris
This iris has several legends but the one I like best is.....
The Emperor was riding in his carriage through the countryside one spring day and saw many of these beautiful irises growing along roadways and in gardens. He sent his gardeners to collect hundreds of these irises and plant them all around his castle. Then he decided it should be a royal iris and decreed that no commoner could grow this iris either in gardens, along roadways, in pastures, in pots, on porches, or in creek beds. The people read the decree and were sad until someone said 'the emperor did not say we could not grow it on our roofs'
And it is grown on thatch roofs in Japan today perhaps to hold the thatch together. Its roots are strong.
It is said in the south that it wards off evil spirits.
I grow it because it is beautiful and grows in the shade and the sun, can tolerate a lot of water or drought and makes blooms every spring without fail.
