by Jim Murrain
Iris 'Blue Warlsind' a hybrid "Juno" between I. warleyensis and I. sindjarensis, or is it?
Between name changes and poor notes it's a bit of a mystery. I. warleyensis is fairly certain as the pod parent. I. sindjarensis, the pollen parent, has had a name change to I. aucheri. Except for being a "Juno" it has little in common with I. aucheri. It does however reflect the traits of I. bucharica. This is an old hybrid and will likely remain a mystery unless someone repeats the cross to determine one way or the other.
Iris 'Blue Warlsind' above and below.
Thought to share the same parentage as 'Blue Warlsind' is 'Warlsind' another early hybrid. These have been in the bulb trade for many, many, decades. We don't even know the name of the hybridizer.
Iris 'Warlsind' above and below.
And just for fun is another cross, this time between I. sindjarensis and I. persica. The pod parent is thought to actually be I. aucheri, don't forget the name change. Iris 'Sind-Pers' does have an introduction date 1889, and the hybridizer was Van Tubergen. This is an easy to grow hybrid and in good soil can make a nice sized plant in only a year. It is very short and the flowers create a fine bouquet appearing to all come from the center of the clump.
Iris 'Sind-Pers' above and below.
These are all very early flowering irises and want very good drainage, I grow them like Aril irises. In my Kansas City garden they bloom near the Vernal Equinox.
When browsing through the Fall bulb catalogs look for and give Juno Iris a try. They make a great start to the Iris Season.
