Irises-Non-Bearded 2012

[PeterT]

It only flowers in spring for me David 

[Leon]

Probably my favorite non-bearded iris in my garden is Iris aguafugua.  It is from China where it has the reputation of keeping snakes away from your yard.  It sure works in my garden.  As long as the foliage is present I never have snakes.  The unfortunate part is the foliage dies in spring and reappears in the fall so foliage is absent when snakes would be active anyway. This iris is very winter hardy and is drought tolerant.


Iris aguafugua
Iris anguifuga

[PeterT]

Iris anguifuga?

[daveyp1970]

Iris anguifuga?

My thoughts as well i thought it was lactea but i could be wrong.

[PeterT]

I am sure Leon is not talking of I lactea... I think that there is just a typing error. I anguifuga is also known as "snake bane" it has interesting seeds too,- they resemble those of I ruthenica, or even Iris domestica. My I anguifuga flowers much later in spring, and the root stock resembles I tuberosa.

[Leon]

Of coarse you are right.  I was trying to type the name from memory which is faulty.

[daveyp1970]

Of coarse you are right.  I was trying to type the name from memory which is faulty.

Very nice Leon and not one i am familiar with is it related to Lactea Peter?

[PeterT]

More likely to Iris ruthenica Davey, need to look it up in Jim Waddick's book - Irises of China

[Leena]

This iris is from last summer.
I have grown this from wild collected seed as Iris sp, possibly Iris bulleyana.
The seeds were collected in 2008 by Remi Nielsen from Yunnan, Benzilan, Beima Xue Shan, 3,463 m.
The first plant flowered last summer in the beginning of June, later than Iris sibiricas.
Do you think this looks like Iris bulleyana?

[Lesley Cox]

Happily, I have 9 pods on Iris barbatula this year. Some will be to spare of course.

[David Nicholson]

Whoops, I nearly missed that Lesley,  unless you have been inundated with requests if you could spare some barbatula seed I would be most grateful. I'd be utterly delirious if you could spare some decora too. I lost my last plant during last winter.

Here's Iris unguicularis and flowering this year far better than it has in the past. Although Brian Mathew says they should not be given a rich diet mine got a good thick mulch of composted farm manure during last Summer and I think it has paid off.

[ronm]

Very nice David,  . Maybe its appreciated the extra moisture this year too? 

[Lesley Cox]

Yes David, of course. As it happens, no-one has asked for barbatula as yet, but it's still a way off, the pods getting fatter but still bright green. Not sure about decora as the few flowers there have been I've missed altogether and I've had to lift the plants (3) to pot them, not at the best time but needs must. If there's anything you shall have it as I have about a dozen seedlings from a couple of years ago, just germinated recently, also a few from Chadwell seed.

Here's a rather nice Japanese iris, really cool on the hot days we've had recently. I had it as 'Snow Queen' but I'm pretty sure that's not right. I have an NZIS reference somewhere I must locate.