Micro-Season: “The Iris Flowers”

On June 26^th we will enter the micro-season of “The Iris Flowers”.  This is the second micro-season of the season called Summer Solstice.  The other micro-seasons within Summer Solstice are:

• The Common Self-Heal Dries (June 21 – June 25)
• The Iris Flowers (June 26  -June 30)
• The Crow-dipper Sprouts  (July 01 –  July 06)

These seasons were established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai. While they are specific to Japan, you can use these seasons as a starting point for exploring the world around you.

To celebrate this season, we will learn about the iris and then read haiku by Basho, Issa, Shiki, and Ogawa Shushiki.

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The Iris Plant

The iris is a genus of perennial flowering plants that encompasses over 300 different species.  Irises are primarily found in northern temperate zones including North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.  Depending on the species, the irises have either bulbous or rhizomatous root strategies.  Many of the irises that are native to southwestern Europe grow from bulbs. Rhizome irises can be found in a variety of climates and grow best in well-drained soils.⁽¹⁾

The Iris Flower

Most irises bloom in late spring or early summer. The six-petaled iris flower can come in a variety of colors and is particularly unique because it has three outer petals that hang down and three petals that stand upright. The petals that hang down are called “falls”, and the petals that stand upright are called “standards”.

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Purple is the most common color for the iris and is associated with wisdom, dignity, and respect. Blue irises are also fairly common and are associated with faith and hope. White irises are associated with purity and compassion, while yellow irises represent friendship and bonding.⁽⁴⁾

Classifying Irises

The irises that you will typically find in a garden are separated into three main groups:  Bearded, Beardless, and Aril.

Bearded Irises

These irises are called bearded because they have soft hairs along the center of their falls.  Most of the bearded irises are native to central and southern Europe.  The American Iris Society further separates the bearded irises into six subcategories: Miniature Dwarf Bearded, Standard Dwarf Bearded, Intermediate Bearded, Border Bearded, Miniature Tall Bearded, and Tall Bearded.  These subcategories are primarily used for judging and competitive garden shows. 

Some bearded irises are known to be “rebloomers”. This means that they will bloom once in late spring and then again later in the year.⁽⁵⁾ 

Beardless Irises

Beardless Irises do not have soft hairs on their lower petals (the falls).  These irises are mostly native to Asia. 

One of the best-known beardless iris is the Japanese iris (Iris ensata), also named the Japanese water iris.  The flowers of the Japanese iris are about 3 to 6 inches across and come in a variety of colors.  They are bulbous irises and grow well in damp and boggy areas.  The Japanese iris is frequently featured in Japanese watercolors.

Aril irises

The American Iris Society has also included a third group of irises called Aril irises. This grouping is made up of iris found in the Oncocyclus and Regelia categories of irises.  These iris are native to the deserts and mountains of the Middle East and thrive in hot and dry climates with poor soils.  These irises do have beards, but the beard formation is so different from bearded irises that they needed their own category.  

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Seasonal Haiku

The World Kigo Database list “Iris” (ayame) as a mid-summer kigo.  Dr Gabi Greve’s provides this bit of commentary about the Iris in Japan. “There are many more words in Japanese to differentiate between the many kinds of iris that flower mostly during the rainy season, giving a special elegance to an otherwise dreary season.”

In The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words as selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto, “wild iris”, “Japanese iris”, and “blue flag” are listed as related kigo.  The season word blue flag refers to “a type of iris, sometimes called ‘rabbit-ear iris’ in North America.”  Kenkichi Yamamoto also includes a variety of other flowers as summer kigo including “peony” and “multiflora [rose] blossom”

In A Dictionary of Haiku Jane Reichhold list the all-inclusive term of “flowers” as a summer kigo.  She also includes more specific flower types including “lilies” and “morning glories”.

Now, with all these flowers in mind, let’s read some haiku.

Basho 

honorable figure
I will bow down to
rabbit-ear iris 
(translated by Jane Reichhold)

I’ll bind blue flags
around my feet: 
sandal cords 
(translated by David Landis Barnhill) 

Long conversations
beside blooming irises - 
joys of life on the road 
(translated by Sam Hamill) 

Issa

irises--
where that rainbow
starts from
(translated by David G Lanoue)

geese and ducks
wipe their feet...
on the irises
(translated by David G Lanoue)

Shiki

this lone iris
white 
in spring twilight
(translated by Stanford Goldstein and Seishi Shinoda)

Ogawa Shushiki 

Even after waking
From the dream 
I’ll see the colors of irises
(translated by Alex Kerr)

Commentary from translators. “This was Shushiki’s death poem, meaning that when she awakens from “life’s dream” she will see radiant irises.”(Alex Kerr)

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Haiku Invitation

This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu that references a flower that is currently blooming in your area. 

Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your own page and link back to this post. I can’t wait to read what you write!  

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Resources

1. “Iris”; Brittanica
2. “Iris”; Wikipedia
3. “Irises”; Almanac.com
4. “Irises; The Ultimate Guide”; Interflora.com
5. “Iris Classification”; The American Iris Society
6. Beaulieu, David. “How to Grow and Care for Japanese Iris”. The Spruce 

Basho’s haiku was retrieved from Matsuo Bashō’s haiku poems in romanized Japanese with English translations. Issa’s haiku was retrieved from David G. Lanoue’s HaikuGuy.com.  Shiki and Ogawa Shushiki haiku retrieved from The Classic Tradition of Haiku edited by Faubio Bowers.