Iris and some Irids 2008

[Lesley Cox]

I've never seen that form of I. setosa with black pods. They look very dramatic! And very nice! Do the seedlings have the same colour pods?

[arisaema]

I'm afraid I haven't tried raising a second generation, so I don't know. Only one out of maybe 15 seedlings showed this trait, the seeds came in a trade from Alaska.

[Lesley Cox]

It's a very handsome and different form so worth isolating the black-podded sdlgs and hand-pollinating amongst them.

[johnw]

Todd Boland at Oxen Pond has been doing some Iris crossing. Some rather nice yellow foliaged plants coming from Iris sibirica Alba x Iris hookeri Alba and Iris sibirica Alba
x Iris hookeri. Hope I've got the parentages right.

johnw 

[Lesley Cox]

These are very interesting but I have to say I'm always a little doubtful about yellow-foliaged irises. In my climate at least, they tend to burn badly and beside their greener relatives they tend to look sickly. Each to his own I suppose but over time I'd be surprised if they are vigorous.

[johnw]

These are very interesting but I have to say I'm always a little doubtful about yellow-foliaged irises. In my climate at least, they tend to burn badly and beside their greener relatives they tend to look sickly. Each to his own I suppose but over time I'd be surprised if they are vigorous.

Leslie - You're quite right about burn. Todd said some did exhibit burn even on their moist, low light climate.  These are being weeded out and there are some that are holding up well. They looked fairly vigorous to me in that mineral soil, their native hookeri probably helps deal with that.  Used smartly they could be quite something in the early perennial border.

johnw

[Rafa]

This is Iris variegata var. pontica

[Maggi Young]

Great photos, Rafa!

[Hans A.]

Rafa, (as always) great pictures - to grow species is one thing, but to show them as you do make every plant very special, thanks.

[Rafa]

Many thanks to both

I usually use my pictures to make watercolors, so I need to have clear image of the plant and a black or white background could help very much.

[olegKon]

Can anyone confirm that the irises are true to names. The first 2 pics are taken yesterday, the last 2 - on May, 29.

[olegKon]

Still another picture of I. bulleyana.

[Rafa]

I think Iris bulleyana is correct,  I. ensata is I. sanguinea (I thought it was I. sibirica) , and the others are Iris lutescens (purple-blue and white are common forms in the wild) var. Campbellii is very pale lilac.

[Rafa]

An iris blooming today in our garden. Purchased from Wrightman Alpines as Iris sp. Mongolica it was collected by Joseph Jurasek in the Mongolia Altai at 2300m.
-Rob

I think this could be any pale form of Iris blowdowii. I also grow this sp, but it is too young so I am very happy seeing how is it.

[Lesley Cox]

Iris ensata is now the correct name for what used to be I. kaempferi, in other words, the big, floppy Japanese iris, whose many forms were called "Higo" irises. I ensata was at one stage also applied to what is correctly I. lactea which was also called I. hyacinthina in its nomenclatural life-cycle. Confused anyone?