Reticulate Iris-2011

[Janis Ruksans]

Iris zagrica from the sale of Jim Archibald's collection last Autumn.

Yes! Excellent.
Janis

[arillady]

Hans and Alex stunning iris. I will have to rethink this group which I thought would not grow here iff you can grow Iris pamphylica Hans so well.

[YT]

Thank you for sharing us such lovely iris pics
Iris hyrcana, from Janis, has opened its first flower today. Original collection: Talish, S Azerbaijan near Lerik and vil. Buludul. (RSZ-8706, 8741)

[Janis Ruksans]

Thank you for sharing us such lovely iris pics
Iris hyrcana, from Janis, has opened its first flower today. Original collection: Talish, S Azerbaijan near Lerik and vil. Buludul. (RSZ-8706, 8741)

My most loved reticulata species.
Janis

[Rafa]

very nice species, this is Iris zagrica

[alpinelover]

Iris reticulata 'Purple Gem' is my first retic in the garden as always.

[David Nicholson]

Lovely images folks.

[PeterT]

Beautifull pictures, the zagrica is stunning, Iris hyrcana is flowering here in two forms too. also bakeriana and a seedling I sowed from Alan McMurtries breeding of Iris reticulata,

[PeterT]

another picture of the McMurtrie seedling and some of his danfordiae hybreds

[PeterT]

and another sophiensis x danfordiae

[Luc Gilgemyn]

What an impressive series Peter !!! 

The pots of hyrcana are breathtaking !

[PeterT]

Thanks Luc, but I never get seed on the small form, glad to swap bulbs for a gene pool. It all came from one bulb eight years ago.

[tonyg]

Peter T - some lovely forms there.
Where did you get the Iris bakeriana?  It looks close to the Hort form which I believe to be a hybrid but if the leaves are cylindrical, many ribbed then it is true Iris bakeriana.  I obtained seed from Iran via a seed-ex some years ago labelled 'reticulata'.  It has turned out to be Iris bakeriana, pictured below.  The leaves are quite different from all the other retics I grow ... but not an easy thing to show in pictures.  Hopefully you can see what I mean.  By chance the adjacent pot has the Hort form (?is it same as plant named 'Clairette'?) with its much paler standards.
The third Iris (2 paler flowers in foreground) is Iris histrio ex Turkey.
Final shot is Iris histrioides, such a fantastic blue, with Iris reticulata ex Armenia to the right.

[PeterT]

Hello Tony, thank you.
your histrio and histroides are lovely, and the armenian caucases reticulata is a great plant.
How wonderfull for you to get your bakeriana by such chance.
the bakeriana I pictured is, I think, the commercial form. I bought one bulb from Paul Christian about six years ago and one bulb about the same time in the RHS halls, they are identical.The leaves are round -8 ribbed but not so cylindrical as you picture.
I believe this characteristic may be variable?

 I wouldn't know if it is a hybred, but it is daintier than Clairette and purple whereas Clairette is blue. Clairette and Springtime are supposed to be hybreds from bakeriana and show this in their leaves which have intermediate ribbs.
They are almost indistinguishable, one has bluer stands than the other and there is a third cultivar with a variagated leaf - I think it is called Marguerite? a strange name for an iris!.

[Hans A.]

Great plants everyone - especially like Iris zagrica, even it might be the species with the smallest flower.
Thanks  for all the comments - I am also very surprised how beautiful this small group has developed.

Hans and Alex stunning iris. I will have to rethink this group which I thought would not grow here iff you can grow Iris pamphylica Hans so well.

Hi Pat, Iris pamphylica grows well if the base is protected from too much sun, I grow it always protected by rocks, shurbs or gras on their southern side. Maybe Iris vartanii still will do better with you as your area seems to be warmer and drier - the seedlings of this species grow well - hope to get first flowers next year.