by Robert Gabella
Iris virginica Shrevei on the banks of the Fox River - Batavia, IL
Childhood Indiscretion and Missed
Opportunities
As
kids, we had the freedom to wander the local woods. Mom was happy to get us out
of the house, so long as we came home by dinner. If we were parked in front of
the TV, she'd turn it off and say "Get outdoors, you're not going to sit
at home and watch cartoons on a nice summer day!"
Dad
was a career Army officer, so we had a chance to wander state after state -
Texas, Alabama, Maryland, Florida, Alaska, Illinois, Colorado and anywhere we
visited in between. With no cell phones, and often beyond the distance of a
shout, we found our own adventures and made our own discoveries - occasionally
getting into trouble. Somehow, we managed always to come home in one piece.
Iris verna Cleo Chapel Road, in the garden
The
exact reason I first saw Iris (subgenus Limniris, series Vernae) verna in a
dimly-lit but open wood in Southeast Alabama, several blocks from our on-base
home, is up in the air. Meaning - giant
woody lianas of undetermined species were literally hanging from the air,
from high in the trees – so I, my brother and a friend set out to swing from
them like Tarzan! During the acrobatics, I noticed little purple dots not far
in the distance, even more startling with bright orange signals.
Though
only 9 years old, I'd become familiar with Bearded & Beardless Iris at a
prior residence in Maryland. Later, Bearded Iris grew, and rebloomed, around
our school courtyard in Tallahassee, Florida. A voracious garden reader even
then, I'd read about but never seen Iris (Subgenus Lophiris) cristata. But these were
different, a puzzle! They varied slightly in color and form. And the need to possess
overcame me. Choosing the flower I liked best, I unceremoniously (and unwisely)
ripped a plant out of the ground. Surprised at the rope-like rhizome, distance
between the small fans, and scarcity of actual roots - I got what I could.
Transplanted into a little garden space I had, it grew for the remaining three
years we lived there, but bloomed again only once.
Iris verna Cleo Chapel Road, in the garden
It
took years, but I finally made a proper purchase of this gem - Darrell Probst's
2012 intro, 'Cleo Chapel Road'. Planted in my Zone 5 Chicagoland garden, it
bloomed beautifully, and reconnected me to that childhood discovery!
COLLECTORS, PLEASE NOTE:
Unless you have a state-issued
collection permit, private property owner's permission, or are lucky enough to
have them wild on your own land, buy nursery grown plants of Iris species, or
raise them from SIGNA (Species Iris Group of North America) seed:
http://www.signa.org/index.pl?Intro.
This way, you harness the beauty of
native Iris without putting pressure on wild populations.
And Much Further North…
Fast
forward to a move from Alabama to Alaska, and close encounters with lots of
Iris (subgenus Limniris, series Tripetalae) setosa.
I. setosa, Alaska; Photo courtesy of istock.com/Micah Mabin
My
first sighting was a thick clump blooming in a neighbor's garden, a gorgeous
dark purple with 3 falls and no standards – could it be a Japanese, I wondered.
But I learned quickly, as Mom had picked up The
Alaska-Yukon Wildflower Guide. At about the same time. the Alaska
Department of Transportation then put out a notice that they were giving away
Iris for the digging, near Eklutna Flats, north of Anchorage, in the path of
major construction. Though we took a look at them as we drove past, on the way
to elsewhere, my parents (sadly for me) chose not to go through the muddy
routine.
But
I got my revenge almost 20 years later, with a dig permit from the Alaska
Department of Natural Resources for I. setosa interior, the taller subspecies
in East Central Alaska. In advance, I'd written Larry Duffy who'd collected
them in a wide range of colors, from white to pink and burgundy plus the
usuals. We later met in a coffee shop in Fairbanks, after my digging, and he
showed me his slides. At that point I encouraged him to register them, which he
did. Though I collected several forms, there was doom in their future. With my
good friend, the late Florence Stout from Northern Illinois Iris Society, we
planted them in her garden. Though they grew in muck. we mixed in sand, and now
I forget why. I was there constantly, doting over them and watering, probably
unwisely, and they all eventually died. That was a love's lesson lost. Sooner
or later, the old VHS tapes of me doing the selecting will be digitized. And I
hope to collect again someday, but maybe just seed.
Making up for Past Mistakes
After Alaska, two more family moves
landed me in Southern Colorado. But distracted by non-gardening pursuits, only
in my senior year of High School did I first notice Iris (subgenus Limniris, series Longipetalae) missouriensis.
Between Cañon City and Cripple Creek, growing on a scraped-off roadside
embankment, the plants were short, widely spaced, and flowers were mainly bright
lavender purple with yellow signals. Only in return visits, did I become aware
that these high desert and foothill populations naturally hug runoff and melt
areas. So those I first saw, pitched high and dry, by a hot roadside, were
likely remnants from construction and grading. But growing as they were, it
showed their adaptability and strength.
Iris missouriensis, upland form, NW of Crested Butte, Colorado, 10,000'
Iris missouriensis, upland form, NW of Crested Butte, Colorado, 10,000'
Iris missouriensis, upland form, NW of Crested Butte, Colorado, 10,000'
This past summer, in late June, I made a point to chase this species from the
rugged Colorado lowlands (still high, over 5,000 feet), where it was nearly
finished blooming, to the interior mountains, where it was just peaking. In all
areas, plant habit and flower color were variable. The wetland forms were
generally much taller, about 3 feet. The thickest patches in the high mountains
were half that height, mostly pale blue. But in the distance, obstructed by a
rushing creek, were some in white and darker purple colonies. At over 10,000
feet, it was breathtaking to see these plants, watch their pollinating
bumblebees at work, and bask in the miracle of how they even got there.
Iris missouriensis, wetland form, NW of Cañon City, Colorado, 6,200'
After settling in the Chicagoland area decades ago, I first completed a degree
in Horticulture and then went on to complete two more stabs at college. Through
much local exploration, I began to see our native Iris (subgenus Limniris,
series Laevigatae) virginica Shrevei in our many local wet
areas.
Even years ago, I noticed it was often competing with the shade of invasive
glossy buckthorn, Frangula alnus, or
encroached by the aggressive Eurasian Iris
(subgenus Limniris, series Laevigatae) pseudacorus. In these photos, snapped in late May along the Fox
River, in Batavia, you can see the pseudacorus
are not only photobombing this lovely and highly variable population but edging
them out.
Iris virginica Shrevei, hiding near encroaching I. pseudacorus - near the Fox River - Batavia, IL
Iris virginica Shrevei on the banks of the Fox River - Batavia, IL
A pale lilac colored Iris virginica Shrevei on the banks of the Fox River - Batavia, IL
Though
much damage to native Iris populations as well as wildlife habitats has already
been done, in 2013, Iris pseudacorus
was added to the ILLINOIS INJURIOUS
SPECIES LIST, and it is now illegal to transport, barter, buy, sell or
trade here. Fines for infractions are not less than $1,000 or more than $5,000
per incident. Now to begin cleaning up the mess of the pseudacorus that's already here.
In the detention pond of a local
McDonald's, without pseudacorus
encroachment, a burgeoning population of I.
v. Shrevei has emerged.
Iris virginica Shrevei with encroaching I. pseudacorus, on the banks of the Fox River - Batavia, IL
The site was bulldozed and reconstructed a dozen years ago, and it seemed there
was only one Iris remaining - but they have gradually increased, and this past spring
was the best bloom so far. This group also included a dark specimen, as well as
one plant with exceptionally small flowers. What's really fascinating is that
scattered juvenile fans vastly outnumbered the many blooming plants.
McDonald's management assisted with the photo shoot, and the GM said she grew
up with Iris but never noticed these, behind the site and out of view. It just
proves you never know where or when you'll make an Iris Friend - and they now have a new appreciation for "the
ditch" out back!
EXPECT VARIABILITY!
These
plants don't read their own press, and whenever you find wild Iris, individual
plants may look quite different from one another mere feet apart!
Appreciation of the best of these differences leads to potential selection, and
Horticulture – "the art and science
of growing plants (well)” – my parentheses! To see the lovely gradation
of flower color, pattern, form, presence or absence of gold signals, and floral
velocity in a Shrevei population to
realize how diverse they are - even in a small area. Here are some of the
lovely forms from the McDonald's population.
Iris virginica Shrevei growing in a stormwater detention (dry) pond McDonald's, Oak Brook, IL
Iris virginica Shrevei growing in a stormwater detention (dry) pond McDonald's, Oak Brook, IL
However, not all of our Chicagoland populations of I. v. Shrevei are as robust and variable as the Batavia or
McDonald's populations. At Volo Bog State Natural Area, the few specimens
appear sporadically, and the main encroachment is by cattail, Typha latifolia. The end result of the
smaller localized gene pool is a lessening of natural variability.
Iris virginica Shrevei growing at Volo Bog State Natural Area, Volo, IL.
Iris virginica Shrevei growing at Volo Bog State Natural Area, Volo, IL.
Where to find them: Where will you see US native Iris in
the wild? Well, it depends where you
live, and where and how hard you look. Check with SIGNA, your local botanic gardens, native plant societies, and Iris
folks from your region. Many US
residents are within a 100 mile drive of one species or another – across two
subgenera (Limniris, Lophiris) and a number of series. They are mainly absent over extreme southern
Florida and the harshest desert areas, but in some places locally
abundant. Whenever you see them, take note
of location, bloom time, population characteristics and density, and natural
variability – as well as other floral and faunal associations (including
invaders). And please take photos and share them with other Iris Lovers, this
is how we learn from one another! And in cases of fascinating variability
within a population, it’s also how we assert that the plants don’t read their
own descriptions.
MOST OF ALL, HAPPY HUNTING!
Editor's Note: Robert F. Gabella is a Horticulturist, Hybridist, Author, Consultant, and Project Manager based in Villa Park, Illinois - which Hardiness Zones 5a and 5b have managed to split in half - down the middle of his street! More at
GardenOpus - and on Facebook & Twitter as GardenOpus.
