The Iris
Doctor
By
M. D. Faith
Subject: iris
versicolor
Dear M. D.
“In the last issue you pointed out the little known and grown iris
tridentata. Following on to this, I have been wondering if there is other
under appreciated iris out there?
Also will they be good garden plants?” from Robert in Little
Rock.
Yes, our native North
American iris versicolor is such an iris, which should be better known,
and should be grown and used in our gardens more than it is at the present. It
ranges from northern Virginia through out the northeastern United States into
the southeastern provinces of Canada. Growing thought out the coastal provinces
of Canada, as well as the states of the Great Lakes region of the United States
and west to Minnesota, and thence south through northern Virginia to establish a
non-rigid perimeter of it’s habitat. Also, I have read of wild stands occurring
as far south as Texas.
Edgar Anderson demonstrated
in 1936 that iris versicolor arose as a natural amphidiploids hybrid
sometime in the interglacial times of the earth’s evolution. Taking on all the
chromosomes of both parents, that is iris virginica with 2n=70 plus
iris setosa 2n=38, it became a true breeding species with a count of
2n=108, the highest chromosome count of any iris. This species is very fertile and has
progeny from inter species crosses with iris laevigata, iris fulva, iris
brevicaulis, iris virginica, and iris setosa.
In
it’s northern reaches, zone three, there are substantial stands of wild iris
versicolor that range in color from blue through violet, to light purple
with white and yellow mixed sometimes with green in the signal areas. This
coloration is the most common though out it’s natural distribution.
There are white, or rather
near white forms, near red and near black forms, the latter being brought about
more from breeding than from a natural occurrence. Breeding different selected
and collected clones to each other has brought about most of the color
variations. When you look at the resulting seedlings you can see what a fruitful
and rewarding area for work iris versicolor presents to iris hybridizers
and breeders. Deep red-violet near crimson with white or yellow signals, dark
blue-violet to near black with white or yellow signals, and on to pure white and
white with light blue to darker veining, these are the color patterns that can
intrigue and encourage both the gardener and the breeder of
iris.
Beautiful heavily ribbed
stiff upright green foliage from a height of one foot to four feet high clones
with foliage of gracefully arching and drooping tips gives this iris much of
it’s appeal. The foliage is an attractive and striking addition to any garden.
The flower stalks are graceful and well branched with one to two branches and
two or more buds to each flower socket, producing a good floral
display.
Some clones have flowers
four inches or more across with broad arching rounded falls and narrow upright
standards, while others, especially the pink, “rosea,” will have flowers
about one and one quarter inches across. Most clones will have flowers
intermediate between these two specific examples.
Iris
versicolor
grows naturally in a moist to wet soil, and does quite well in bog conditions in
full sun. Full sun is needed to bring out the full effect of the striking
coloration of the flowers. They grow taller in these wet conditions, but that is
not to say that they will not do well in ordinary garden soil, for they thrive
in rich well-drained garden soil with a proper water supply. Submerged in water
for a month or more, they do quite well, but will not survive and do well under
water all the time. They grow best, and naturally along the banks of ponds,
sloughs, and the banks of streams. Open meadows with bogs are ideal where in
nature they abound profusely in stands that crowd out other competing
vegetation.
The
foregoing paragraph should not convey the idea that iris versicolor
requires a wet condition in the garden, to do well. It will grow well in good
rich garden soil right a long with your Louisiana, Siberian, and Japanese iris,
all being treated essentially the same way as regards to plant-food and water.
All of these iris, as well as versicolor, will benefit from having a lot of
organic matter incorporated into the soil, and maintaining an acid condition in
the beds. It should go without saying a balanced plant-food applied periodically
will maintain them in good health.
Iris
versicolor
is extremely hardy and should do well any where in Region 22. Our heat or hot
dry summers presents more of a problem than our winters. They do not appear to
have the ability to go dormant like some of the Louisiana iris do, and then come
back. Mine even in this 100 to 110 degree (F) summer heat, have held up well
under sprinklers, timed to be on seven to ten minutes at three-hour intervals,
during the hot part of the day. As a matter of fact, they look better than some
of the Louisiana iris with which they are growing.
My
experience in growing iris versicolor has been, and is very
rewarding. The seedlings that I grow from SIGNA (Species Iris Group of North
America) seed exchange seed run the gamut of all the colorations, flower forms,
variations in foliage, and flower spikes. From the 20 inches high pink
“rosea,” to the 36 inches tall rich blue-violet, and to the near crimson
red of 24 inches, they all are a delightful and rewarding experience, and
enhance the joy of my gardening efforts.
The SIGNA seed exchange
program is run for members, and seed are sent to members for a small fee to
cover postage and handling, and to support the much-needed efforts of SIGNA.
Members from all over the world contribute the seed, and here you can find some
new and strangely different plants to grow. The next exchange occurs at the end
of the year with the seed being shipped in the first part of January 2001. There
is still time to join SIGNA, and participate in the exchange. SIGNA dues are
$5.00 for single or $6.00 dual annual, $12.00 single or $15.00 dual triennial.
Mail to: Rodney Barton, 3 Wolters Street, Hickory Creek, TX 75065
Though there is great
satisfaction to be had in growing seedlings from the improved strains of iris
versicolor, there are those to consider who would prefer to start with the
improved registered cultivars or the better collected clones that are in
commerce. Here are some of the varieties or cultivars available in the
commercial market. Understand me correctly, I am not here recommending any
cultivars, but merely listing some of the more popular ones being
grown:
1)
Iris
versicolor
‘Kermesina’ … Deep bright red-purple with white signals.
2)
Claret Cup … Dark red-violet
with white and yellow signals.
3)
Cat Mousan … (Warburton,
1983) White with magenta lines.
4)
Little Ryme … (Schafer-sack,
1990 White standards with yellow center, white falls, green hafts, yellow
signals with green venation.
5)
Mint Fresh … (Warburton,
1983) White with magenta lines.
6)
Mysterious Monique …
(Knoepnadel, 1986) Violet standards, dark near black falls, white
signals.
7)
Vernal … (Sindt, 1983) Clear
orchid pink.
8)
Version … (Sindt, 1986)
Bright pink
9)
Whodunit … (Warburton, 1986
White ground heavily veined mid violet.
10) Wildwine … (Sindt, 1983)
Wine red.
11) Iris Versicolor
‘Rosea’ …
Soft rose pink with white signals.
For those interested and
those with access to the internet, I am posting some pictures of seedling that
show some of there color range, as well as some photos taken of wild stands of
iris versicolor, on my website: http://www.irisnut.bizland.com/photogallery.chtml
Also, there is a nice
photograph at North American Native Iris Website: http://molly.hsc.unt.edu/~rbarton/Iris/laevs/I_versicolor.html
|
Crystal Palace
Perennials P O Box 154, St. John IN
46373 E-mail: GSpeichert@aol.com Phone: 219-374-9419, Catalog
$3 fulva, hexagona, nelsonii,
versicolor, virginica other beardless
species |
Elk Mountain
Nursery PO Box 599, Asheville,
NC
28802 E-mail: craig@elk-mountain.com cristata, setosa, verna,
versicolor, and other beardless species |
|
Iris City Gardens (Good NANI
species photos on this site!) 7675 Younger Creek Road,
Primm Springs, Tennessee 38476-9618 E-mail: icity@msn.com Phone: 800-934-IRIS,
615-799-2179, Catalog
free cristata, fulva, hexagona,
nelsonii, versicolor, virginica, setosa other species beardless and bearded |
Joe Pye Weed's
Garden 337 Acton St., Carlisle MA
01741 E-mail: jpwflowers@aol.com Phone:
978-371-0173 cristata, prismatica,
tridentata, verna, versicolor, virginica and other beardless
species |
|
Lousiana
Nursery 5853 Highway 182, Opelousas
LA 70570 318-948-3696, Catalog
$4 brevicaulis, fulva,
giganticerulea, hexagona, nelsonii, versicolor, virginica other beardless species and non-iris irids |
Maryland Aquatics
Nurseries 3427 North Furnace Road
Jarrettsville, Maryland 21084 Email: info@MarylandAquatic.com Phone (410) 557-7615,
Fax(410)692-2837 brevicaulis (? - the photo on
their web page looks like virginica IMHO),versicolor, virginica
and other beardless species |
|
Nicholls
Gardens 4724 Angus Dr., Gainsville,
VA 20155-1217 Email: nichollsgardens@juno.com,
Catalog
$1 brevicaulis, douglasiana,
fulva, hexagona, prismatica, setosa, versicolor, and
virginica other bearded and beardless
species including carthalinae, graminea, japonica, lactea, laevigata and pseudacorus |
Pine Ridge
Gardens 832-I Sycamore Rd, London, AR
72847 E-mail: pineridg@cswnet.com
Phone: 501-293-4359 Catalog
$1 brevicaulis, cristata,
innominata, versicolor, virginica, tridentata other beardless species |
|
The Primrose
Path R.D. 2, Box 110, Scottdale,
PA 15683 (412)
887-6756 cristata, lacustris,
versicolor other beardless
species |
We-Du
Nurseries Rt 5 Box 724, Marion, NC
28752-9338 E-mail: wedu@wnclink.com Phone:
828-738-8300 cristata, versicolor,
virginica, virginica, virginica v. shrevei. (have offered
others) other beardless
species |