Species Irises: Back to Nature

by Tom Waters

Iris missouriensis, a beardless species native to North America

Iris missouriensis, a beardless species native to North America

Iris missouriensis, a beardless species native to North America

I became interested in irises as teenager. After a year or so of growing tall bearded irises, I became more aware of the other types available, and of the special groups of enthusiasts who had gathered around each type. When I discovered that there was a group (SIGNA) just for “species iris”, I was baffled. In my biology classes at school, I had learned that the species was the basic category for classifying all life on earth. So didn’t all irises belong to some species or other? It didn’t make sense that there would be a special iris society just for species.

Beginning classes in school, naturally, emphasize simplified basic concepts at the expense of all the qualifications, complications, and exceptions that the real world has to offer. In school I learned that two individual animals or plants belong to the same species if they can breed and produce fertile offspring. But that’s not always the case, especially in the plant kingdom. Irises belonging to two different species can often cross and produce fertile offspring, and in fact this is how most of our named garden varieties of iris originated. Those named varieties (“cultivar” is the precise term) are almost all hybrids, with two (or more, usually) different species in their ancestry.

So now it started to make sense. People interested in “species irises” were interested in the original iris species that exist in nature, as opposed to the many garden cultivars that had been produced by hybridizing, crossing different species with one another.

Iris paradoxa, an aril species from northeastern Turkey

Iris paradoxa, an aril species from northeastern Turkey

I grow bearded and aril iris species, because I’m interested in hybridizing with them, and also because they come from parts of the world with climate similar to my own, so it seems a good fit. Many people grow other kinds of species: Siberians, Louisianas, and wild irises from North America, Europe, and Asia.

Iris reichenbachii, a bearded species native to the Balkans

Iris reichenbachii, a bearded species native to the Balkans

Iris reichenbachii, a bearded species native to the Balkans

What is the appeal of species irises for gardeners? Obviously, botanists are scientifically interested in the original species, which are the product of natural evolution and occupy distinct ecological niches. For a gardener or iris hobbyist, this scientific curiosity can inspire interest in the wild species. But there are other lures as well. There are many species that have been used infrequently or not at all in hybridizing. If you take a fancy to these, you will necessarily be growing species. Some of us like the “wild look” as an alternative to the deliberately “altered” creations of human hybridizers. And some like the idea of growing the wild irises native to their own area.  For others, conversely, species from other parts of the world provide a connection with the plant life of distant lands and environments.

Iris stolonifera, an aril species from central Asia

Iris stolonifera, an aril species from central Asia

Iris stolonifera, an aril species from central Asia

If you take an interest in species irises, you soon learn an important difference between species and hybrid cultivars. The hybrid cultivars are all propagated by division. Each plant is an identical replica of the original. Each one is really an individual organism, as distinct from all other irises as you or I are from all other people. But a species is not an individual. A species is an entire population of related individuals; it is like the whole of Homo sapiens from all the places humans live, with all their different characteristics and genetic heritage. So whereas I can “have” a particular cultivar, say ‘Dividing Line’, in my garden, I cannot “have” a species, such as Iris pumila. I can only have at most a few individual plants that belong to that species. They will all be different individuals, and all different from the great numbers of other  Iris pumila plants growing wild in Eastern Europe.

Species enthusiasts embrace this fact, and often strive to have a range of different plants representing each of the species they grow. This not only adds interest to the collection, but helps preserve some of the genetic diversity of the species in our gardens. Like many wild plants, irises are often threatened in their native environment by human activity and encroachment. The gardener who grows species contributes, in a small but potentially significant way, to their conservation and preservation.

For those of us interested in hybridizing, growing many different plants of the same species offers another benefit: genetic diversity.  If you trace the ancestry of our garden hybrids back far enough, you will find the same ancestors appearing over and over again. Despite all the range of color and form in the modern hybrids, they actually come from a rather inbred gene pool. Going back to the species expands the genetic base for our hybridizing efforts.

Iris pumila, a bearded species from eastern Europe

Iris pumila, a bearded species from eastern Europe

Iris pumila, a bearded species from eastern Europe

This brings me to a final observation. One can obtain species plants from commercial sources and others who grow them, including named cultivars in some cases (these are selected individuals of the species, not hybrids between different species). But it can be even more satisfying to raise species from seed. Many iris societies and rock garden societies have seed exchanges, where one can inexpensively obtain seed of many different iris species, including sometimes seed collected in the wild. There are also some commercial sources, mostly specialist plant collectors. When you raise irises from seed, you will naturally be “selecting” those plants with the genetic predisposition to do well in your own climate.

Growing species irises, particularly growing them from seed, provides a window onto the natural world that growing only hybrid cultivars cannot. There is a special pleasure that comes from raising these lovely wildflowers, knowing that you are enjoying (and helping preserve) some of the world’s beautiful and fascinating flora.

Iris missouriensis growing wild near my home in northern New Mexico

"Talking Irises" BY REQUEST: COLLAGES--Making Visual Records of your Tall Bearded Irises

By Susanne Holland Spicker

A few readers have messaged me recently asking about the collages I make of the tall bearded irises I use for my personal use as well as the AIS World of Irises articles I've written. I appreciate your comments, questions, and suggestions. With the onset of the iris season, now is a good time to get our iris maps, pictures and files organized. Wayne writes that "he would be interested in knowing more about how I create the collages and [my] visual "wish list." He goes on to ask what "thought process, tools and workflow" I use and says that "the collages really help" him. 

Probably many of you do this already. I use a program called Picasa that was free with my computer. It allows me to create a collage. I'm sure there are many programs that do the same thing. To create the collage, I first select the iris picture I want. I crop it, then save it in the picture bar until I have the number of pictures I want. For the large collages, I usually select 15 irises, although sometimes I choose more. For the single iris collages, I use three shots of the iris, usually front, side and a stem shot. The rest is easy--just select "create" and  the collage magically appears--I love technology! To arrange in a different order there is a shuffle option, or you can click and drag to the desired placement. Text and section dividers can also be added in fonts and colors of your choice.

My visual "wish list" is made by copying images taken by fellow iris lovers of beautiful irises they've grown and shared on the "Iris Lovers" Facebook page.  I have a folder on my computer that I save those images in. I tag them with the name of the iris, the hybridizer, the person who took the picture and any other pertinent information, such as where I can purchase them, etc. At last count, I had 454 irises on the list! I know I can't possibly get them all, but it makes for some enjoyable viewing as I can then watch them as a slide show.

Another reader, Rebecca, is planning a blue monochromatic  bed and saw a recent AIS World of Irises article (click blue monochromatic to view article) that discussed that topic. She wrote and asked if I could label all the irises in the collages. It was simple to go back in the folder and edit the collage, adding the names of each iris. I was then able to send her 5 or 6 collages of the blue irises grown in my garden. Like I said, I love technology!

To organize irises for use in identification, color coordinating beds, purchasing new ones, or just keeping track of what you've got, the collage system has worked well for me, and it may for you. It's fairly quick and very easy to do.

Having a visual of each of my iris beds, as well as a collage of each individual iris is what has worked best for me. I hope this article has helped anyone having similar questions. 

If you have a great way to keep a visual record of your irises that works for you, I'd love to hear from you! I love reading your comments. 

The Open and Flaring Form Among Louisiana Irises

By Patrick O'Connor


Bigger is better?  Fatter flowers are superior to skinny ones?  Not necessarily when it comes to Louisiana irises, at least not officially, and not in the view of many devotees of these plants.  Wisely, the AIS Handbook for Judges asserts that none of the recognized flower forms among Louisiana irises are unacceptable and none are superior to the others.  We are allowed to have personal favorites, of course.

Ron Killingsworth’s excellent blog post in November 2012 covered the wide range of forms found among Louisiana irises.  If one looks at the latest introductions, it might appear that hybridizers have mostly abandoned anything reminiscent of the open form characteristic of the five Louisiana species and the many natural hybrids found in the wild.  Ron gave them their due, but I want to double down on the virtues of these flowers and argue that modern hybridizers should rediscover their merits. 

Iris giganticaerulea

Iris fulva

All of the five species of Louisiana iris have an open form and each makes its contribution.  We can thank I. fulva and I. nelsonii for red and yellow.  Fulva usually has drooping petals that are rarely a model for flower form, although if not taken to an extreme, an umbrella of color can be quite pretty.  The flower of Iris giganticaerulea is most appealing to me.  It flares elegantly upon opening, with its petals pointing both laterally and skyward, creating an airy, graceful shape.

Hybridizers, present company included, have not worked much to improve flaring, open-form Louisiana irises.   From the time of the discovery of the first fuller-flowered Louisianas in the wild, there has been a headlong movement toward the wide-petaled cultivars that are predominant today.  Such features as ruffling and edging have been an added focus in recent years.  This is not to complain about the progress made – the results have been beautiful – and past work has incorporated many other traits of value, such as better substance, floriferousness, and shape of stalk.  But I would like to at least whisper, “Whoa!  Let’s not forget the natural history and heritage of these plants.” 

'Black Widow' (MacMillan, 1953).  A classic and still popular Louisiana iris exhibiting an open form.  Photo by Linda Trahan.

'Dixie Deb' (Chowning, 1950).  Another old and open Louisiana cultivar.  Also a vigorous grower and a good garden iris.

In sifting through iris pictures in search of good examples of open, flaring cultivars, it is striking the extent to which they are mostly old and not far removed from the stock found in the wild in Louisiana.  To the extent that newer introductions of this type exist, they tend to come from hybridizers in Louisiana where the reminders of the irises’ natural history are still vividly in evidence along the roadways and in the wetlands. Sometimes, admittedly, the development of a worthy iris of flaring, open form has been incidental to other objectives, but some recent examples can still serve to show the potential.

'Who's Ya Mama' (Musacchia, 2014)

'N'Orleans Flambeaux' (R. McSparrin, 2013)

There are challenges to any hybridizer intent on developing improved Louisianas with an open, flaring form.  For all the beauty of wild irises, they exhibit some undesirable traits, particularly poor substance.  A wild iris flower will not last nearly as long in the garden as most of the modern hybrids.  It will be necessary to address more characteristics than just flower shape if the open, flaring form is to become and remain a popular option among Louisiana iris lovers.

'Cocodrie' (O'Connor, 2013)

'Twisted Sister' (O'Connor, 2003)

'Sunshine Bridge' (O'Connor, 2001)

Louisiana irises have been seriously hybridized for a little over a half century and, given the changes wrought, one can only imagine (and perhaps a little bit fear) what the future might bring.  The genetic potential apparently exists to shape these flowers into forms unimaginable today.  In another fifty years, perhaps they could all look like tropical hibiscus if hybridizers put their tweezers to the task. 

Hopefully not.  An open flower will present fewer square inches of color and may not look as impressive as an overlapping and frilly one when printed on a page or projected on a screen. The true test will be in the garden where poise and grace may get more credit.  

Gardeners most value the images they see live in the landscape.  I am confident that graceful Louisiana irises can fill many a bed if we maintain their connection to the natural world..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Arilbred Irises: A Touch of the Exotic

by Tom Waters

One of my favorite types of iris is hardly known to the general gardening public: arilbreds. These striking plants are deserving of much more attention.

What is an arilbred? The term aril applies to two groups of irises: the oncocyclus from the Middle East, and the Regelias from central Asia. (The word "aril" is a term for the prominent white color seen on the seeds of these types of iris.) These aril irises, although some of the most spectacular flowers in the genus Iris, often proved difficult to propagate and maintain in northern Europe or the US. Arilbred irises are the result of crossing these aril irises with the more familiar bearded irises. Many earlier breeders making these kinds of crosses were dreaming of flowers like those of the aril irises on plants that were as easy to grow as bearded irises. Today, this dream has largely become reality. Along the way, the endless gene combinations gave rise to a huge variety of flower types not even imagined before.

Seeds of an oncocyclus iris. Note the fleshy white collar or "aril", from which aril irises take their name.

Arilbred irises come in so many different colors, patterns, and forms that it is unwise to generalize about their appearance. Many, however, have large, globular blooms, a dark signal spot below the beard, and intricate veining.

'New Vision' (Tasco, 2012). Note the large dark signal and globular form. (Photo: Superstition Iris Gardens)

'Navajo Velvet' (McAllister, 2009).

'Oyez' (White, 1938). Note the intricate veining.

Arilbred irises grow extremely well in the western US and similar climates. They prefer conditions that are on the dry side during the heat of summer and the cold of winter, although they are not desert plants and will thrive on ample irrigation during the spring and autumn. In the desert southwest of the US, arilbreds often perform better than tall bearded irises, growing more rapidly and blooming more reliably. Growers in wetter climates, such as the eastern US, often find them more challenging to grow, although many are successful with them nonetheless. If you live in a wetter area, I recommend giving your arilbreds a particularly sunny spot with good air circulation and good drainage.

'Parable' (Johnson, 2011). (Photo: Mid-America Garden)

'Eyes on You' (Black, 2012). (Photo: Mid-America Garden)

'Refiner's Fire' (McGrath, 2007). (Photo: Pete McGrath)

'Aladdin's Gem' (Thoolen, 2002). One of the smallest arilbreds.

Arilbreds come in all sizes, from tall-bearded size to dwarfs only a few inches high. This is because all different types of bearded irises (tall, median, and dwarf) have been used to breed them, and also because the aril species themselves come in a wide range of sizes. Most arilbreds bloom earlier than the TBs, overlapping the standard dwarf bearded (SDB) and intermediate bearded (IB) bloom seasons. They do not have the branching and bud count seen on TBs: a single short branch and 3 to 4 buds is typical of many arilbreds. They make up for it with individual flowers that are showy and spectacular, and by often producing many stalks, even on a young clump.

Have you tried arilbred irises in your garden? How do they like your climate?

Reblooming Irises in Zone 6:Cheerleading

by Betty Wilkerson

Here in my zone 6b garden, it is time to consider making new reblooming iris crosses.  Rebloomers are great for producing splashes of color in the summer and fall, but the breeding is best done in the spring, since summer can be too hot and fall pods often are frost damaged. Reblooming irises usually bloom during the first week of spring iris season.  Sometimes these early blooms will look fine, but will not produce any pods, since the early frost can wipe out the pollen. Be patient.  The pollen will return to normal in a few days.  In all crosses, including rebloom crosses, always use the healthiest and strongest irises available.

My friend in California has a full bed of irises that bloom all summer.  Why won't those irises rebloom for me here in zone 6?  It's both easier & harder than it might sound. The experts tell us they .don't have the genes needed to bloom in zone 6, most years.  Weather is definitely a factor, since some of these will rebloom occasionally, when the weather is mild.

I read through about ten of my old rebloom reports.  Keep in mind that there hasn't been a lot of work on rebloomers for our zones or area in the past twenty years. In the twelve years I've been at my current location, we've had a couple of mild summers, and here is a list of irises that summer bloomed for me during that time: 'Pure As Gold,' 'October Sky,' 'Lord of Rings,' 'Violet Miracle,' 'Feed Back,' 'Immortality,' 'Pink Attraction,' 'Again and Again,' 'Lunar Whitewash,' 'Over and Over,' 'All Revved Up,' 'Echo Location,' 'Returning Chameleon,' 'Cool Character,' ''Summer Honey 'and 'Summer Radiance.'  Most of these are fairly old when it comes to irises.  When we have a mild summer, with temperatures primarily in the high eighties and low nineties, we can expect a little bloom through out the summer.

'Pink Attraction'' (E. Hall 1988) photo from Schreiner's website.

'Pure As Gold' (Maryott 1993)

Due to their genes, all rebloomers are not equal.  'Pink Attraction' likes to be moved every two years, in order to rebloom well, and does not create rebloom children in my zone 6 garden. Two of my rebloomers that can bloom in the summer and also create a lot of reblooming children, are 'All Revved Up' and 'Star Gate.' When combined with other rebloomers, they do well.  Some feel that crossing the well formed irises that rebloom in California, and other temperate climates, does nothing to help us in the search for better form in the colder regions.

'All Revved Up' (Wilkerson 2006)

'Star Gate' (Wilkerson 2005)

'Echo Location' is a very good rebloomer here and also produces reblooming children.  It might be a good iris to use toward breeding reds, since it has a lot of red blood lines from the Gibson side. These three, are all good for breeding reblooming plicatas.  Even though it doesn't looik plicata, 'Star Gate' has a lot of plicata blood and does breed some plicata.  'Star Gate' and 'Echo Location' are both examples of hidden plicatas.  Neither is a noticable plicata.  I hope to produce a good red on yellow plicata.with rebloom.

'Echo Location' (Wilkerson 2007)

There are three possible bloom seasons for rebloomers:spring, summer, and fall.  Some of us in the colder, roller coast zones have started working on summer rebloomers, giving us a better chance of seeing iris bloom during the years we have difficult spring and fall weather. Others don't want summer bloom for a variety of reasons. I'm not going to tell you how to create the best iris that both reblooms and meets all of the characteristics the American Iris Society requires for a spring bloomer. If I knew how to do this, I would have done it already!  I've come close but no brass ring!  

'Summer Honey' (Wilkerson 2013)

'Summer Honey' (Wilkerson 2013)

Crossing my plicata children onto my self children created 'Summer Honey.'  Several others from the cross, including some reddish seedlings , did rebloom.  I've been really impressed with the stalks still standing on 'Summer Honey' once the frost hit in mid october.

What cross would you make this spring in an attempt to promote rebloom in the colder zones?

IRISES, the Bulletin of the AIS - Spring 2015 Edition

By Andi Rivarola

Hot off the presses, here's the Spring Edition of IRISES, the Bulletin of The American iris Society. On the cover, irises and more irises from The Joyce Lockatell Memorial Garden, Cosby Farm, Virginia. 

The Spring 2015 issue of the AIS Bulletin is now available for online viewing within the Emembers section of the AIS website. Note: to access this area you must have a current AIS Emembership. AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership. Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.

A fantastic edition, as usual, with information and articles varied for all to delight.

Our AIS President Jim Morris writes an extensive opening statement that includes details about his recent trip south of the Equator -- to Australia and New Zealand. A lengthy article with lots of interesting pictures is published later in this issue in the section, Irises Down Under, Australia. Besides all the gorgeous irises from local hybridizers we have come to know and enjoy such as Blyth, Grosvernor and Taylor, I enjoyed the pictures of the Proteaceae family hybrid called Warath, and Echium candicans 'Pride of Madeira.' Gorgeous beauties.

I hope Ken Walker, from Northern California is preparing a digital program because if it is as interesting as his articles in the last three editions of IRISES, I wouldn't want to miss it. This one is Iris Parts: Diversity in the Genus, Party 3 -- Flowers, starting on page 19. 

It was fascinating to read starting on page 30, about the collaborative efforts of the Missouri Botanical Garden botanical staffers Kyle Cheesborough's and Jason Delaney's exploration and plant collecting in the Altai region of Southern Siberia, Russia, a UNESCO World Heritage Center. What a thrill to know that this exploration and work has been sponsored in part by the Greater Saint Louis Iris Society. 

Everything you need to know about the 2015 Portland, OR National Convention of The American Iris Society, is on page 32-33, and by the way, hope to see you there.

I read with much pleasure the article by Katherine Cook about the Franklin Cook's Iris Garden, and its history along with a touching biography of her dad, Franklin Cook. Yes, the same person for which the AIS convention award is named: The Franklin Cook Memorial Cup. Here's a sneak peek: To either side of the tool house, double French lilacs, mixed with singles, heavily perfumed as they can only be in a moist midwestern spring. Following the white picket fence perimeter south, to the west corner, and coming west to each side of the barbecue, were crabapples of several varieties, from white, pink, double, to deep rose, framing the center beds of iris displays. From there, my mother made jelly each year.

If you are interested in reblooming irises, you must read the article: Gibson Plicatas, Create Modern Rebloomers, by Mike Lockatell, on pages 40-41. 

There's so much to see in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print formats. I hope you are an AIS member because that means that you will receive the print edition soon, or if you are an e-member, then that version is already available online as mentioned above. 

Happy gardening!