Iris 2011

I saw this lovely I. unguicularis growing in a garden at Pine Knot Farm last week. It's too bad they aren't hardy for the north, the color is so pretty and the flowers are nice & big.

McDonough wrote:

Rick, sorry to have given the impression that I am growing this species; I'm not. 

Obviously, my head was somewhere else when I was (thinking I was) reading your post, Mark.  ;D

LucS wrote:

And from a different group in the iris family :
Iris flavissima
Iris tygridia

Luc, both of these are lovely Iris, glad to "meet" them.  Not knowing much about them nor what Iris section they are in, I had to look them up. Still not sure what section I. flavissima is in, photos show a brighter yellow flower, although I much prefer your exquisite form with delicate markings.  Found photos of a pale yellow form here (scroll down):
http://plantes-passion.forumactif.fr/t411-iris-flavissima
...and a European nursery offering a darker yellow form:
http://www.rareplants.de/shop/product.asp?P_ID=8865
...Flora of China entry:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200028168

Iris tigridia is a little beauty, I would grow that one in a heartbeat, it is section Pseudoregelia.  John Lonsdale grows it outdoors, which gives some promise that it is growable outdoors here in New England, NE USA.
http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/plants_album/the%20plants%20-%20%20comple...

LucS wrote:

McDonough wrote:

Luc, both of these are lovely Iris, glad to "meet" them.  Not knowing much about them nor what Iris section they are in, I had to look them up. Still not sure what section I. flavissima is in, photos show a brighter yellow flower, although I much prefer your exquisite form with delicate markings.  Found photos of a pale yellow form here (scroll down):
http://plantes-passion.forumactif.fr/t411-iris-flavissima
...and a European nursery offering a darker yellow form:
http://www.rareplants.de/shop/product.asp?P_ID=8865
...Flora of China entry:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200028168

Hey Mark,

Brian Matthew regards this species as being the same as Iris arenaria and Iris humilis.
Iris flavissima has its distribution in E-Europe.

Yes indeed, the FOC link above states "Iris flavissima is here treated as a distinct, E Asian species, but is often placed in synonymy under the widespread, Eurasian species I. humilis Georgi ( I. arenaria Waldstein & Kitabel)."

Do you know where your beautiful pastel form is from?

LucS wrote:

Mark,
This one is grown from 2003 seed collected by Pavelka in de Changai Mtns, Mongolia, alt. 2500m

Thanks Luc... it seems worthy of a cultivar name, such a beauty.

Gorgeous Junos Luc!  Up until a few years ago, when deer came in an ate all my Junos to mere nubs (which had the effect of weakening the bulbs and introducing rot with severed leaf-bases catching moisture, decimating my large clumps), I had two forms of I. magnifica, one with the typical tinge of blue, but the other a clean white. Neither were of known provenance.

'Swan Wings' is aptly named, really beautiful delicate ascending "wings" on that one, I'm not familiar with this cultivar. Good to see what pure I. warleyensis looks like, very pretty.

On your Iris bucharica x vicaria 1st generation hybrid, is this a hybrid of your own creation?  I don't see much evidence of vicaria in it, I would assume such a cross would show a bit of blue in the flower, but I know very little about Juno crosses and what plant characteristics prevail in hybrid progeny.

LucS wrote:

A few more:
Iris bucharica x warleyensis "Blue Warlsind"
Iris chamaeiris just starting
Iris mandshurica

Wonderful seeing photos of Iris mandshurica, darn near impossible to find a photo of this small Iris on the web. I know it from "Iris of China" by James Waddick and Zhao Yu-tang; inside there's a good photo of this small pseudoregelia.  It is not found at terribly high elevations, but since it is also found in the USSR, it suggests this species would be hardy outside.  Luc, I may sound like a broken record, but can you tell us where you obtained this little goodie?

Luc!! Absolutely gorgeous...well done! I'm getting more into species Iris these last couple of years and have orderes quite a few from the seed-ex. Wish me luck!

I didn't know Iris reichenbachii came in a purple form!  Very nice, Luc!

Amy, be sure to hold your seeds over for at least two years if they don't germinate the first season.  There can always be the odd deviant seed, but some species need 2-3 cold treatments for best germination.

Best of Luck!

Amy, be sure to hold your seeds over for at least two years if they don't germinate the first season.  There can always be the odd deviant seed, but some species need 2-3 cold treatments for best germination.

Best of Luck!
[/quote]Thanks for the info Rick! I've got I. tectorum growing well now and a few others have just poped up with this warm weather after spending the winter outdoors under fleece blankets & plastic tarps.

I have Iris ruthenica from seed sprouted last season.  I'm a little disappointed that the flowers will be hidden.  Still a nice plant, though.  But those oncos are fantastic!  I see why iberica is so sought after.

Skulski wrote:

 
I have been told by a local expert alpine gardener that Onco irises do well here - something I must try my hand at some day.

Really? Outside in zone 3?  Unbelievable!  Obviously, the seasonal climatic changes must mimic their natural haunts, but who would have thought they could take such cold!

Iris acutiloba, stupendous !!!
I think of the joy my silly Iris suaveolens types give me, and Wim, you must have a permanent grin on your face!

How tall is that?

We had a talk about Iris attica and relatives at the International meeting...they come in more than just yellow and blue!  Wish I could grow these juno and oncos.  heck, I'm lucky I can get reticulata to come back each year.

Speaking of, my Kathleen Hodgkin opened yesterday.

All gorgeous plants! And Todd, it must be so nice to have most/some of the snow gone off your gardens! We've still got a few piles here & there, now if the weather would only warm up just a little we might actually have a spring! :-\

Wonderful Iris everyone, too many to comment on here in my "hit and run" quickie posts during the work week.  Here is Iris x 'Sindpers' which flowered well this year, it skipped blooming for the past two years!  I love the pure sky blue color, and nearly stemless growth.  It has been grown outdoors in the garden for nearly 10 years.

McDonough wrote:

Wonderful Iris everyone, too many to comment on here in my "hit and run" quickie posts during the work week.  Here is Iris x 'Sindpers' which flowered well this year, it skipped blooming for the past two years!  I love the pure sky blue color, and nearly stemless growth.  It has been grown outdoors in the garden for nearly 10 years.

It seemingly liked your warm and dry spring/summer last year!

I have almost given up growing these showy Irises. Have a few other types though :(

Just browsed and saw lots of great irises: I was struck by the I. schachtii in Wim's post: many of our bearded dwarfs are blooming too, and this is one I used to grow in that honey gold form and miss! I was also surprised by the albino I. flavissima (or humilis or whatever)... I admire how you all can grow junos and Oncocylus in pots: we grow them all in the ground since if we tried growing them in pots I am sure we would kill them. And our climate approximates their conditions and they seem to like it here: the following are a few of the later junos that are still blooming (we have had a fabulously cool spring so plants last forever, although with just traces of rain every week, we could use a good soak from Mother Nature)...

I believe the last one (labeled Iris sp.) is I. narbutii...any opinions?

Iris graeberiana
Iris henryi
Iris vicaria
Iris warleyensis
Iris x Warlsind
Iris orchioides
Iris bucharica
Iris willmottiana

Spectacular Junos PK!  I cannot even get I. bucharica to survive more than 2 years  :'(

I'm late to respond here, but respond I must, some really good stuff here!!!

@PK - The Iris bucharica in Colorado are out of control, certainly an insidious weed that needs government intervention! ;D  Never have I seen such clumps.  Have you tried Round-Up on them ;D  The junos certainly seem to like the Colorado climate.  Exceptional!

@Wim - one of my great desires is to successfully grow I. innominata and other Western USA coastal mountain Iris.  The brown veining in your form is most fetching.  Glad you managed to acquire Iris cristata alba, a very good white; was at Garden Vision Epimedium nursery today, and feisty pots of I. cristata alba are just a mere $6, a flat of petunias might cost more!