Iris suaveolens

[Kelaidis]

Finally downloaded a picture of my form of suaveolens: very different from Rick's: it is one of the toughest of the miniature bearded iris. I remember seeing large pots full of overgrown rhizomes of these I believe they had just sitting outside year around at Wave Hill at the edge of New York City. They would be fun to see in full bloom.

[Lori S.]

Iris suaveolens is blooming here too, and just started a couple of days ago.  These little guys are up to 3" tall.

[RickR]

Now that rain has melted a good portion of our snow, I can't really say my gardens are waking up, but at least they are showing!

One of the interesting evergreens to meet me each spring as the snow recedes is Iris suaveolens.  (Blooms to come later, of course.)

[McDonough]

Cool, looks like chinese pea pods curling around into bird's nests.  My Iris suaveolens is still covered with snow.

And Panayoti, I hadn't commented on your form of I. suaveolens, but its a doozy, love the long slender tubes giving the flowers some height, and intense coloration too.

[Lori S.]

Rick, yours have amazingly sickle-like leaves, compared to mine and to the others posted here!  Worth growing for the foliage alone!

[RickR]

My "Chinese Pea Pod Salad" is blooming nicely now.  
          Iris suaveolens var. rubromarginata

              

To get the maximum sickle shape on the leaves, grow them in austere conditions.  Absolutely no crowding allowed even in full sun, or leaves will grow straighter, upright, and longer.  Obviously, flowers are not sacrificed when grown in harsher conditions.  Even on this pic, you can see new leaves are already less falcate, due to the adjacent massive clump of  Lycoris squamigera (Naked Lady) leaves that shade the evening sun.  When the Lycoris foliage disappears in summer, subsequent iris leaves return to the more falcate shape.  This holds true for other iris too, like Iris attica and Iris lutescens.