Iris iberica elegantissima

[annew]

Please can someone give me cultivation advice for this species for a friend who has one?

[David Nicholson]

I haven't grown it Anne and if I had tried would probably have killed it. I looked to see what Brian Mathew had to say. As far as I. iberica is concerned he says 'unfortunately not an easy plant to maintain in cultivation'. On ssp. elegantiissima he doesn't say anything specific about cultivation (a bad sign!!) All I can do is quote what he says about distribution which might give some clues '.... described from the Kars region of North Eastern Turkey and is common as far west as Erzurum and South to Lake Van. It is also in north-western Iran and adjacent Armenia. It is a very striking plant on the open rocky slopes of such mountainsides as that of Ararat. Altitudes of 1000-2000 meters and flowers in April. Flowers 10cm in diameter, stems usually 20-30cm in height'

I would say bulb frame cultivation, water Ocober and then not again until February or March, no water after flowering has finished. Fiendishly difficult in a pot in our climate. But there are Forumists with far more experience of Junos than I.

Probably hinders rather than helps!

[Carlo]

Talk to the boys at Wisley and/or Edinburgh. I've got a slide of it somewhere taken at one of the two gardens...

[Jim McKenney]

I have a tiny piece of this one here in the garden, so I'll be watching these responses closely.

[Lesley Cox]

Absolute bone drought from end of flowering until late autumn or even winter if there's a little moisture in the air. Some lime when potting it and high potash fertilizer, low as possible nitrogen. Systemic insecticide and fungicide regularly, but on a dry, windy day so the liquid will dry almost immediately. A few greenfly on it, and it will keel over almost over night. Have fun

[Lesley Cox]

Oh, and David, it's an oncocyclus iris, (bearded, rhizomatous) not a juno (beardless, bulbous).

[Tony Willis]

The keeping it bonedry in summer concept is interesting. In the Kars region it has its rhizomes several inches underground and I have found it in areas that were soggy in late May and its roots would be moist all year round. I am not advocating this in cultivation just an observation as mine are long since dead.

[annew]

Thanks, folks 

[Lesley Cox]

Well of course my experience is very limited. I had two plants about 4 years ago. The bone dry one (totally neglected under a bench), sprouted nicely in the spring and grew on somewhat while the other, with just a tiny bit of rain  a couple of times, promptly died. The following summer, the previously dry one also had a little - very little - water, and died almost at once. The leaves seemed quite soft-textured and succumbed to any moisture on them. Once the leaves collapsed, the rhizomes quickly followed.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Absolute bone drought from end of flowering until late autumn or even winter if there's a little moisture in the air. Some lime when potting it and high potash fertilizer, low as possible nitrogen. Systemic insecticide and fungicide regularly, but on a dry, windy day so the liquid will dry almost immediately. A few greenfly on it, and it will keel over almost over night. Have fun

You really want all of us to try it do'nt you Lesley... 

[David Nicholson]

Oh, and David, it's an oncocyclus iris, (bearded, rhizomatous) not a juno (beardless, bulbous).

Of course it is Lesley, put it down to short term memory loss, happens a lot these days!

[Rafa]

Anne, this is a picture of how I grow Oncos in central Spain. Although we haven't so many rain than in UK I grow this species in a bulb frame, it is a risk to grow it in open garden.

[Carlo]

Great shot Rafa. It looks like what I'd imagine the conditions to be in nature. It does raise the question of perched water tables in pots. Water would tend to hang at the interface between your layers (particularly where the media grade from gravel to soil). Have you had any problems with this?

[Lesley Cox]

You really want all of us to try it do'nt you Lesley... 

You should be so lucky!!!

[Tony Willis]

My picture of it in the wild has moved into the ether so here it is again.

It was growing in very wet turf and as I mentioned before I was lucky to see it. I had had to divert because a small earthquake had closed the road and so I came upon it on my diversion. Luckier still a cow had stepped within two inches of it and missed it. it is much dwarfer than those usually seen growing on dry hillsides