Iris and some Irids 2006-2007

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, a Pacific Coast iris and not a species I think but whether a recognised cultivar or just a seedling, who knows? There are hundreds if not thousands of the former and millions of the latter. Even the named cultivars are in doubt as PCs are not easy to divide successfully and so are usually raised from seed in which case strains are probably more often offered than clones.

[fermi de Sousa]

I'd have to disagree and suggest that it isn't an "iris" at all! I think it's most likely a Dietes!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Well, I thought that too but then thought there was too much foliage. On another look, I think you're right Fermi. (That didn't hurt at all )

[David Nicholson]

They are frost hardy apparently, I may have a crack at some of them.

[Joakim B]

Sorry for the confusion I have caused. 
There was a lot of "iris" that did not get any water like around the buss stop in "Old town" San Diego and a school on the way to Balboa Perk as well as beside the out door pool in our hotel. Most if not all was not flowering but was in seed (and they donated some to me). They where white the ones that where blooming and 70 cm foliage 3(feet)and flower stem maybe 80-100cm (3-4 feet). In a garden in "Old town" San Diego I saw and photographed this "iris". It was much smaller and I think they watered there. I just asumed it was a newly planted "iris" and hence bloomed slightly out of season and that was also why it was small.

Maybe it was a very different plant Dietes grandiflora in that garden and pacific coast hybrids else where.
I have not taken any pics of the later one only now on the seeds.

I think that the brown half moon shaped seeds are iris and the black are day lilies. There is also a squashed seed pod of the presumed day lily seeds. The size is 3-4 mm.

I will also attach a second pic of the flower and see if it helps identify the Dietes as grandiflora as suggested by Diane in a private exchange (hopefully it was OK to say that Dietes grandiflora looked the same as my picture Diane?)

Am I helping to identify or just making things more difficult?

Any suggestion on how to sow these seeds?

Kind regards
Joakim

[Diane Whitehead]

I sent your San Diego "iris" picture to some Californians and here is the
first reply:

 Based on that picture I would say it is Dietes vegeta.  A very very common nursery sold plant here in California.  I would say it is probably one of the top 5 in sheer volume grown and sold here in California, along with escallonia and other plants that are typically installed in common areas of Home owners associations and condo complexes.
 

[Joakim B]

Diane do You know if there is any pacific coast hybrids in big numbers in the San Diego area? Or is it to dry for them there?
If they are not present it seems to be the Dietes vegeta since it was present in the "public spaces" in quite high numbers.
Thanks a lot for the help Diane and maybe the second pics will clarify even better.


Kind regards
Joakim

[Diane Whitehead]

Even in the San Francisco Bay area, where there are several hybridizers who
sell Pacific Coast iris, they are not very commonly grown.

One of those growers
says that San Diego is "too hot and dry".

There are enthusiasts who make the effort, even in desert areas of the U.S.
Southwest.  They are probably the equivalent of the Malaysian gardener
who rushed me past all the eye-blinding brightness of lush tropical plants
to admire his sad-looking potted rose, imported from Australia, and cossetted.

[Joakim B]

Thanks for this info Diane
I saw the difference between watering and not watering in San Diego compare the rose garden with the desert garden.

Many "iris" plants were growing in what looked like totally bone dry rock hard land even though it had come some rain  few days before.
Now I have seed of a different plant then I thought and need to study it to see if it survives the rain in Portugal in the Winter or not. Any one that know of these Dietes and knows if they need bone dry Winters?

Questions leeds to more questions but I learn so I am very greatfull for the help.

Kind regards
Joakim

[Diane Whitehead]

 Sunset is a magazine for the Pacific coast of North America and
publishes garden information based on our 24 climate zones.  These
zones are based on  rainfall, winter minimum temperatures, summer
maximum temperatures, length of growing season, and humidity.
The zones range from Zone 1 on mountaintops, to Zone 24, frostless
marine areas of Southern California.

San Diego is zone 24 along the ocean, and zone 23 inland. 
There is an explanation as to why it is so mild - it is in a subtropical
zone, about the same latitude as Casablanca, but also, warm ocean
currents flow up from Mexico.

You can find the zone descriptions here:   http://www.digitalseed.com/gardener/climate/plantclimate_zones_key.html
This may help you to compare your garden area.

Dietes grows well in zones 8, 9, 12 to 24 and in Hawaii. This comprises most of the
California coast, and the interior valley. In zone 9, citrus can be
grown commercially, but zone 8 has cold nights so citrus is sometimes frosted.

The following information is from Sunset's Western Garden Book, as I
don't know anyone here in zone 4 growing it (though I do know of protected
citrus trees).

Dietes is evergreen and flowers almost all year, which is why it is so popular -
almost every shopping centre has beds of it.  The flowers last only one day, but they
have lots of buds, and flower in bursts about every two weeks, which is why
it is called Fortnight Lily.  They look best if watered, but once established they
are fine with infrequent watering.

D. vegeta (synonyms:  D. iridioides, Moraea iridioides) is from East Africa.
To prevent self-sowing and prolong bloom, break off flowers individually, as
the flower stem produces flowers for more than a year.

[Joakim B]

Thanks a lot Diane 
Coimbra in Portugal used to have commercial citrus growing by the river and we are not that far away and does not really have frost. In the garden are 3-5 citrus trees without any protection so hopefully they will last here.
I will check the US zones even if other aspects like the length of days and how fast the seasons change also influence what plants thrive. I know it is very trick to compare US zones with Swedish climat but I think Portugal is easier.

Very great thanks
Joakim
 

[Paul T]

Joakim,

My first thought on seeing the "iris" was Dietes irioides, so I'm glad that Diane mentioned the synonymity as I wasn't sure what D. vegeta was. 

A belated (haven't been up here much in a week or so, so it will take me a few days to catch up on everything) congratulation to Lesley on the Iris barbatula having 16 flowers at one time.  Fantastic pic.  Lovely to see the Iris chrysographes...... I've tried it a few times here but haven't managed to get the conditions right as it never seems to settle in for me.  Maybe I have to try it from seed so that it is used to my conditions from the beginning.  I didn't realise that they were a seed strain, although I was aware that there were some differences in amounts of markings and intensity of the black.  I had thought there were a couple of clones around, but hadn't realised they set seed.  Being a lover of black flowers it is definitely a species that has been quite upsetting to lose. 

[Lesley Cox]

I think just about all the species/hybrids in the siberica group set good seed - well some mdern cultivars don't but they're sp overbred that that's a good thing to my mind. So it's a;ways worth a batch of seed from one of the seed lists.

In generall all the group prefers resonably moist conditions but in an open, sunny position. Not always easiest to provide. On the whole they're quite easy-going and perform well virtually always unless parched for months on end. MUCH better in the garden than in pots though.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Mine were always in pots as I was afraid to lose them.... so maybe I ended up working it the opposite way to ideal.  Next time will try them in the ground rather than pots I think.  I actually don't have that many sibiricas at the moment.  I have an unnamed one with unusual flower form and 'Pink Haze' which is a great colour.  They do fine for me in the garden, but would prefer somewhere with a bit more moisture I think.  They do OK though.  Thanks for the info.

[Maggi Young]

splitting off this thread into smaller sections.