Iris ensata ‘Harpswell Chantey’

Giant 6-inch Blooms

Loves moist, even wet soils.

One of the masterpieces of the late Dr. Currier McEwen, to whom we owe so much of the beauty of today’s Japanese and Siberian Iris, ‘Harpswell Chantey’ beguiles with huge blooms of richest violet-blue, neatly ruffled and signaled in bright yellow at the base of each broad, overlapping petal. Borne up to 4 on every flowering stem, these gorgeous blooms are irresistible for cutting, but also look well in the sunny to partly shaded garden, dazzling with their sheer size, unusual form, and great numbers.

Reaching 5 to 6 inches wide without half trying, ‘Harpswell Chantey’ owes its vigor and bloom strength to its tetraploid structure. And this is where Dr. McEwen comes in: he is the gardener responsible for introducing the concept of tetraploidy into the Japanese and Siberian Iris families! (Take a look at Siberian Iris ‘Golden Edge’ for another glimpse at his handiwork.) When he retired from the medical profession in his 50s, this lifelong gardener began to breed Irises seriously. Thus began a career that spanned five more decades and brought him every award and commendation known to American Iris growers. The ruffled edges are also one of his hallmarks, making the already stunning form of this flower even more beautiful.

‘Harpswell Chantey’ reaches 34 inches tall and about a foot wide (eventually spreading, of course). It fares best in acidic, consistently moist soil, and doesn’t mind getting its feet wet. This makes it a great choice for the bog garden and waterside settings, but it also thrives in any well-watered shade border, multiplying agreeably over time. So easy and yet so breathtakingly lovely! Start your McEwen memory garden this season with one of the very finest of his many creations. Zones 4-9.