JUNO IRIS, 2016

[Lesley Cox]

John, growing Junos from seed is not so difficult, at least with what one might think of as "beginners' species." I don't mean  this in any disrespectful or arrogant way, but there is no doubt that some species are much easier to grow than others. From my own experience over perhaps 25 years with Junos, I would suggest trying II. bucharica, magnifica and its white form, vicaria, willmottiana and cycloglossa first, and these are quite easy from seed. If the seed is of good quality (i.e. viable; plump and hard, mid brown tones and reasonably fresh), it's pretty certain it will germinate within 6 months, the time depending on whether it originates in the northern or southern hemisphere, and to which hemisphere it is going. From germination, keep it growing on as long as possible in that first season and from there on it will come up and die down according to the local seasons.It is important that the young bulbs are not let be wet or badly drained but also that they are not "baked," rather, just rested dry until the first autumn rains start the roots into growth again.

Certainly the bulbs may take up to 5 years to bloom but if treated well may take only 4 (magnifica for instances regularly takes just 4 years to flower and if I in my seventies am not fazed by this, you, much younger can take it in your stride) and after those first years, there is always something coming along to enchant us.

For us in the Southern Hemisphere, the biggest problem may be sourcing either bulbs or seed. I was lucky enough to get 4 Junos from the SRGC seed list recently and other lists provide some options too. As well you might like to think about joining the American Iris Soc, the Australian Iris Soc or our own here in NZ which listed several Junos last June and hopefully will again this coming June.

Don't let any perceived difficulty of sourcing or of cultivation put you off trying these lovely things because any challenge they may present is amply rewarded when you see at last the first beautiful and elegant flowers. You will know that any effort you have made has been well worth it.

[art600]

Photographed in my bulb house yesterday

[johnstephen29]

Loverly juno's Arthur.

[Steve Garvie]

Some lovely Junos Arthur!

This one is a fairly recently described species from Uzbekistan:
Iris victoris
Edit: The image below is probably Iris orchioides, true victoris is a totally different plant.

[johnstephen29]

Here is iris magnafica Aman Kutan flowering for the first time with me in the greenhouse, I bought it last year from Janis. Great looking iris.

[monocotman]

John,
Magnifica Alba is a lovely thing and if you want to try it outside, it grows easily in the garden in a sunny well drained spot.
Mine went from a single to about twelve stems over the course of a few years,
David

[johnstephen29]

Hi David thanks for the information on the hardiness of this plant, I am a complete novice when it comes to juno's and I didn't want to loose it. Would it be ok in a pot while I try to increase it, then try it in the garden?

[monocotman]

 John,

if you have a sunny well drained spot it will almost certainly increase more quickly in the garden
than in a pot.

David

[johnstephen29]

Ok David thanks

[Steve Garvie]

A fairly recently described wee plant from the Pamir-Alai in Uzbekistan:
Iris khassanovii


One of the most beautiful of the Junos:
Iris warleyensis

[Maggi Young]

A fairly recently described wee plant from the Pamir-Alai in Uzbekistan:
Iris khassanovii


 Quote from:
Taxonomic corrections and new records in vascular plants of Kyrgyzstan, 3
Article · December 2014 · Memoranda - Societatis pro Fauna et Flora Fennica
Georgy Lazkov, Alexander Sennikov,  G. A. Koichubekova,   A. N. Naumenko


"This recently described species (Tojibaev & Turginov 2014) differs from Iris linifolia (Regel) O. Fedtsch. in its flower colour: standards whitish with violet veins (vs. yellowish in I. linifolia ), falls whitish with violet veins and a yellow spot along the crest (vs. whitish with a bright-yellow spot), and styles with a violet tint (vs. yellowish). Among the species occurring in Kyrgyzstan, I. khassanovii is also closely related to I. narynensis O. Fedtsch. (Ikinci et al. 2011), the latter being clearly different in the dark blotch on the blade of the falls (Hall 2007). Iris khassanovii was described from Hissar Range in Uzbekistan, in about 200 km from the south-western border of Kyrgyzstan. Its brief protologue does not state a distribution area; from the discussions and the type locality we deduct that the species was known to the authors from Hissar Range only, both from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In the last 50 years, plants identical to the just-described I. khassanovii have been repeatedly collected from a forested area ( Juniperus forest) on Turkestan Range immediately south of the Töö-Jayloo pasture area (Fig. 7). One of the present authors (G. L.) collected the species in that locality and observed the flower colour in the living state. The plants from Kyrgyzstan seem to be nearly identical to those from Hissar Range, and we so report this as an extension of the species’ distribution."

[ebbie]

Iris willmottiana


Iris tubergeniana


Iris svetlanae


Iris albomarginata

[Maggi Young]

Lots flowering for you, Ebbie.

[Yann]

Lot's of nice specimens shown here.

[David Nicholson]

You grow them well Ebbie.