Pacific Coast Iris

[mark smyth]

I can only find two poor quality photos on the internet. Diane could you ask your contacts for their photos of Big Wheel?

[Diane Whitehead]

It might take a while - next season someone can photograph it.
It's not available on the DVD.
 The picture on the net is probably scanned.

[Maggi Young]

Is the one on this page not good enough?
http://www.pacificcoastiris.org/RRgroPCI.html

[mark smyth]

Thanks Maggi

[TheOnionMan]

Does anyone in eastern USA have experience and success growing PCI iris?  They are said to be very difficult here because plant species that want to be winter evergreen get battered by winters more harsh than they experience on western coastal USA.  I could easily get very involved with these if they'd grow; most gardeners in these parts say "don't bother with them".

[Diane Whitehead]

Iris tenax, the northernmost species, from Oregon and the southern half of Washington, is deciduous.  This could make it more suitable for cold climates.  I suspect that hot humid summers would be more likely to do them in than winter cold, though.

I have found that my most successful plants are seed-grown, as most of the named ones I have imported from California don't survive.  I don't get a high seedling survival rate if some of the most-southern species figure prominently in the parentage - perhaps 20% for the sky-blue I. munzii hybrids.  But fortunately, the seedlings from my few survivors produce lots of hardy seedlings, so acclimatization is rapid.

So it's best to sow lots of seeds.

I read somewhere that the California Department of Agriculture grew 10,000 plants of an Australian shrub to find a couple of successful ones that became common landscape plants there.  I can't remember the plant, and can't remember whether most of them died or were eliminated deliberately.  However, I remind myself of this when I get discouraged by seedling attrition.

[TheOnionMan]

Good advice Diane, thanks.  Seems like I need to try seed and start looking for the hardiest seedlings.  I'm gaga for those yellow, brown veined, and bronzy red colors, although frankly I wouldn't turn any of them away.

[daveyp1970]

Mark i can send you some seed next year if you would like.

[David Nicholson]

I think I read somewhere that PCI's need an acid soil, does anyone grow them in a fairly neutral soil?

[TheOnionMan]

Mark i can send you some seed next year if you would like.

Davey, that would be awesome... one of us will have to remember, my memory for such things is spotty at best. I know you were interested in some Trillium seed, but this year with our record breaking drought and heat and water ban, most all seed capsules aborted, the few that hung on (mostly just T. vaseyi) gave very poor seed set... the pods were dehydrated, and the super big pod I was hoping for on T. vaseyi was eaten by a squirrel the day I was about to harvest it.  At least I received a most generous collection of fresh seed of Trillium species new to my garden, so with luck in 4-5 years I'll have yet more species I could collect seed on. 

[Gail]

I think I read somewhere that PCI's need an acid soil, does anyone grow them in a fairly neutral soil?

Some of the hybrids eg. Broadleigh Chelsea Yellow do okay in my chalky soil.

[Maggi Young]

Wish I could say the same for the Broadleigh Hybrids in my Aberdeen garden on slightly acid sandy loam........

[fermi de Sousa]

I have found that my most successful plants are seed-grown,

Hi Diane,
the first seedlings from the seeds you sent me have started to flower!



there should another open today which will be more like "Pacific Rim" judging from the colour of the bud.

And a few others from "Big Money" are also open




cheers
fermi

[John Kitt]

This is the only one I have and opened yesterday.
Ken Gillanders in Hobart (Sandfly) gave it to me earlier in the year simply labelled "Pacific Coast hybrid Iris - Yellow Fr"
It looks much like your second one Fermi. Is there a more precise name?

[fermi de Sousa]

This is the only one I have and opened yesterday.
Ken Gillanders in Hobart (Sandfly) gave it to me earlier in the year simply labelled "Pacific Coast hybrid Iris - Yellow Fr"
It looks much like your second one Fermi. Is there a more precise name?

Well, John, as mine is a seedling from "Big Money" I was thinking along the lines of "Small Change"
or perhaps "Gold Coin Donation" which could be a popular choice!
cheers
fermi