Crazy about Iris:Breeding Reblooming Irises in zone 6

by Betty Wilkerson

As I write this, I'm just coming off a spring season that was among the strangest I've seen in thirty plus years of breeding rebloomers.  There have been springs with drought and springs with incessant rain.  This year, spring started back in the winter.  This was good, because I was able to do a lot of garden cleanup and repair before the bloom season got started.  Then, the season was two to three weeks early.  One positive to this was that everything bloomed out of order, with a second wave of rebloom stalks at the end of the regular season.  For instance, 'Tara's Choice' is usually one of the first to bloom, but bloomed at mid to late season this year.  It was good to see a few new iris faces, new seedlings, and some slightly older, but favorite faces.

'Tara's Choice (Wilkerson 2004)

Hybridizing reblooming irises can be a difficult challenge depending on your location.  I'm in South Central Kentucky, zone 6.  Why is this important?  It's beginning to look more and more, to this hybridizer, like breeding irises in general, and rebloomers in particular, is a regional job.  If you live in an area where recurring iris bloom is the norm, then perhaps you wouldn't understand how other regions of the country, the eastern US in particular, long for irises that bloom from frost to frost.   

Although I can get tunnel vision when I'm out in the garden every day working with the irises, and making crosses, we are not thinking only of ourselves, but also the thousands of people hoping for a group of irises that will bloom from spring through fall, since many gardening people want the beauty of the iris throughout summer.  

Less than half a dozen people are working toward rebloom in the colder climates, zones 5-7, and we are all in different parts of the country.  It is a struggle to find cultivars that work for all of us.  We have different favorites and have produced different cultivars of our own.  Although many of us consult and talk among ourselves, we are each working for things that will rebloom in our own gardens, and hopefully, for others.   

'Immortality' (Zurbrigg 1990)

Before he passed away, Ben Hager predicted we were only 15 years away from irises that bloom all summer, frost to frost.  Although we are a lot closer to this in certain areas of the country, we are still far away from these predictions in zones 5-7.  It's still to be seen if reblooming irises are indeed regional, as once thought, or if we can come up with a number of good irises that can bloom in most regions and zones like their predecessor, 'Immortality.'

For more information search through the Reblooming Iris Society @ www.rebloomingiris.com. Several of us can be found on "Reblooming Irises" and  "Iris Hybridizers" on Facebook. We enjoy talking about irises in general and rebloomers specifically.   

Why Grow Rebloomers?

by Betty Wilkerson

In the world of irises, there are different guidelines for garden judging and exhibition judging.  What is the difference, you ask? Show bench irises for exhibition only have to look good, and be good, for one day.

'Summer Radiance' (Wilkerson 96)

Garden judging involves how an iris appears in the garden, not for just one day, but for the full iris season. It also assesses plant health, branching, bud count, and sequence of bloom, among other things.  Sequence of bloom not only involves how the blooms open on the stalk, one at a time, two at a time etc., but how the stalks extend from the iris clump.  For instance, an iris I grew years ago had approximately 15 stalks and they all opened the terminal buds on the same day, and then it bloomed all of the first branch primary buds a couple of days later. Yes, it was beautiful, but the clump was finished blooming in just a few days. An iris that puts up one stalk at a time, like 'Summer Radaince,' displays its beauty for a much longer time.

'Vanishing Act' (Wilkerson 2004)

'Echo Location' (Wilkerson 2007)

'Returning Chameleon' (Wilkerson 1995)

When you hear people speak of their remontant irises, they are talking about reblooming irises. Reblooming irises extend the length of bloom per season, per iris. Since there are only two or three fall shows for reblooming irises in the United States of America, most of my focus is on hybridizing good garden qualities.  I'm particularly fond of irises that are dependable for rebloom, as are those shown on this page.

Seedling # 1907-10Re 

My interest in rebloom began over 30 years ago, because I love iris blooms so much that spring bloom was not enough for me.  I'm as thrilled with one bloom as most people are with a whole clump!  When planting a new rebloom bed in my garden, I first research the cultivars that rebloom well in my area, zone 6. Second, I plant them in a good spot.  Third, I make sure I water and fertilize them well.  Nevertheless, there are no guarantees! We are still bargaining with Mother Nature.

As a breeder, I have the added advantage of seeing seedlings, like 1907-10Re, that others may never see. Ask any questions you like.  Enjoy!

Creating New Irises Can Be Frustrating! Don't Give up!!

by Betty Wilkerson

Twenty four registered irises have 'Immortality' in their lineages. Most of these indicate that 'Immortality' is the pod parent.  This is because its anthers are rarely able to release pollen.  My personal experience is that crosses with 'Immortality' as the pod parent are mainly undesirable.  In other words, these often wind up on the compost heaps. It takes a lot of seedlings to get a good one.  

Dr. Zurbrigg, the hybridizer of 'Immortality', was quite helpful to other hybridizers.  He wrote articles in 'The Recorder' and was good about answering questions.  He and I were on a rebloom robin a few years before his death, and he addressed 'Immortality's' pollen problem.  Most people find that the anthers look dried up and useless and most seasons the pollen is useless. 

Dr. Zurbrigg pointed out that some years the anthers make the pollen but simply do not release it. If you wait until the anther is mature, you can put it on something like a paper plate and press the blade of a kitchen knife on the anther.  As you pull it across, a few grains of pollen will release.  During the time I was using 'Imnmortality,' it happened only twice.  It is well worth the effort, since the children produced from these crosses seem superior to the reverse!  

'Immortality' (L. Zurrbrig 1982) 

'Immortality' makes a beautiful companion plant when planted with colorful blooms.  Like most rebloomers, it needs to be moved every couple of years to rebloom well.  The clump above was planted during the summer of 2004 and the picture was taken the following summer.  

'Bridge in Time' (Wilkerson 1995)

During my third year of making rebloom crosses, I was able to strip some 'Immortality' anthers and obtain good pollen.  Both 'Bridge in Time' and 'Returning Chameleon' were introduced from this process. I made over a dozen crosses using 'Immortality' as the pod parent. 'Corn Harvest' and 'Champagne Elegance' as parents each produced several rebloomers, but all found themselves on the compost pile.

'Bridge In Time' (Wilkerson 1995)

During the spring of 2013, I took two of my granddaughters to what turned out to be the last SOKY show. They enjoyed touring the display garden.  They used my digital camera to took many clump shots in the garden.  This is their picture of 'Bridge in Time.'  It is much taller than 'Immortality' and has had 13 buds.

'Returning Chameleon' (Wilkerson 1995) 

Although I considered it to be less attractive than 'Bridge in Time,' 'Returning Chameleon' turned out to be the most dependable rebloomer.  Even if it's left in the same spot for years, it will rebloom well if fertilized and watered..  The ruffling is less obvious when blooming in the heat of summer, but it does rebloom.

'Returning Chameleon' (Wilkerson 1995)

Fall blooms often open in cooler weather and their features, like ruffles, are more distinct.  'Returning Chameleon' has become a favorite through the years.  One Halloween, I was taking pictures of 'Returning Chameleon' when Jack jumped right in!  He's a stinker, but really good contrast for 'RC. 

In closing, 'Immortality' is thirty two years old and most would say it's too old.to use in breeding. In an area where only a few rebloomers perform, it is still one of the most dependable.  My goal is dependable rebloom in zone 6b. Would I use it again?  Yes. Under the right conditions, and if I could get pollen.  

Feel free to post questions.