Iris non-bearded 2017

[WimB]

Very pretty both of those Wim. I've just checked with the SIGNA Site and with Brian Mathew's "The Iris" and both show nana as varietal

Yes, it is a variety...I was typing without checking!

[johnralphcarpenter]

Iris lactea, one of the first in the open garden.

[Lesley Cox]

One of my favourites, which, over time has also been called I. hyacinthina and I. ensata, though in no way related to the present I. ensata, the large Japanese iris.

[WimB]

Two Pacific Coast Hybrids from seed in flower for the first time this year.

[Lesley Cox]

Our Otago Iris Group (of NZ Iris Society) had its April meeting 10 days ago with guest speaker Mary Barrell from Cambridge (NZ) down to share with us her experiences with breeding PCs. She is a noted breeder with a high reputation in the USA and her seed is sometimes offered in the SPCNI list. (Soc. for Pacific Coast Native Irises but not sure if I have the initials right!). Anyway I mention this because Mary says that now the tendency is to refer to these irises not as Pacific Coast but just as Pacific, recognizing that many species are inlanders as well as coasters. Of course if we go for that name (Pacific irises) we are also acknowledging that on both sides of the Pacific Ocean there are native irises, as in eastern Japan, Sakhalin, Siberia, Hong Kong and in fact right up that eastern Asia seaboard. "Pacific Irises" could get to cover quite a vast collection of species. For my part, I'd prefer to stick with Pacific Coast irises for the Americans. At least we know what we're talking about there.

Some years ago I read that Lilium maritimum, a western American species, would only grow well and flower in sight of (or maybe nearby to) the Pacific Ocean and the inference was that it was only happy in its native home on the western seaboard of North America. I had had seed from Marcus Harvey and it was blooming well and subsequently increasing too, in my southern New Zealand garden. OK, I was within 10 kms of the Pacific Ocean but hardy in northern America! Maybe such myths create interest for the growers of plants but they do nothing to add to the genuine information out there.

[WimB]

Lesley,

Sounds like you had an interesting lecture! You're right in saying that Pacific Irises might be confusing, the Asian species are no PCI's. I'll stick to Pacific Coast too...it's more logical. Don't know about Lilium maritimum and the Pacific Ocean story. Maybe just the smell of the Pacific Ocean is enough (no matter which side you're on). Never tried it, but I'm close to an ocean too, not the pacific but hey maybe that one would grow here too ;-)

Some more PC's in flower over here, they at least don't need the pacific to grow. They are a bit tricky to transplant and divide though, you need to do it when they are in growth.

Anyhow, all PC's from seed from 3 years ago.

Oh, and another non-bearded: Iris cristata 'Powder Blue Giant', from seed from a very generous forum member.

[Robert]

Lesley,

I have grown Lilium maritimum at our Placerville, California farm for years. It has been easy to maintain. Placerville is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains - extremely hot and dry during the summer, nothing like coastal California where Lilium maritium grows in its natural habitat. I would inclined to say that L. maritimum is very adaptable to a considerable range of climatic conditions.

Wim,

Nice Pacific Coast Iris! 

I have to admit that I grow the species, however I can still appreciate the hybrids. I do spend a lot of time doing botanical field work in California and I get to observe the diversity of the species in the wild. I wish that I had more time to post photographs. I had a very nice Iris innominata in bloom a few days ago, from wild seed of coarse. Our native (California) species are quite diverse.

Thank you for sharing the photographs.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for that Robert. I admit that when mine was doing so well I wondered if the comments about only growing by the Pacific Ocean were an attempt to add some local mystique to what maybe had been considered as "our lily" by local gardeners.

[Michael J Campbell]

A few PCI hybs.

[Michael J Campbell]

A few more.

[Carolyn]

Michael,
Your PC irises are lovely. I particularly like the 3rd photo, cream with purple veins - very striking. Are these named varieties or your own seedlings?

[Michael J Campbell]

They are just seedlings.

[Carolyn]

That is making me look forward to my "just seedlings" which I hope will flower next year.

[GordonT]

Michael, you have an amazing group of PC seedlings! Can you share anything about their parentage? I am particularly taken by #3,4, 5, 7 & 8.

[Michael J Campbell]

Gordon, I have no idea, they could actually be named varieties as I got the seed as a mixed bag from the "The Society for Pacific Coast Native Iris" a few years ago. When they were a reasonable size I planted them in the garden and forgot about them until they all decided flower this year. I still haven't separated them and they are still flowering as a mixed bunch.