Iris 2014

Lovely little Irises Rick. I lost all mine to virus a couple of years ago but must start again at some time. 

From China, Iris setosa alba . 

From Alaska. I. setosa arctica ,

Over the past few years I've been growing seed from the Society for Pacific Coast Native Iris... since none are available in the nursery trade here in eastern Canada (likely due to questionable hardiness). Last summer, the first of my plants went out in the landscape, an open pollinated seedling of 'Canyon Snow'. Naturally this past winter ended up being the coldest here in decades (weeks where the daytime high was no higher than -15C, and several mornings at -21C. Canyon Snow survived (planted on the south side of a large rock, protected from prevailing winds), but not without plenty of browning of last year's foliage. Amazingly it is getting ready to bloom.

Other seedlings were kept in the unheated greenhouse. and went out in the elements earlier this year. Most  from the 2012-13 seed exchange, are getting ready to put on a show. The first to bloom is a primary hybrid of Iris innominata x Iris tenax, and I couldn't be happier with the result. Apparently it may be the first Pacific Iris to bloom in Nova Scotia. I hope to hybridize some of the Pacific Iris plants with species of the sino-siberian group to increase hardiness, ideally without losing the intricate beauty of the Pacific Irises.

Gordon, good luck on your endeavor!

Iris humilis popped unexpectedly in  little pot.

Iris typhifolia with the dim evening light that makes it look a bit more blue.

I've lost the origin of this primary Iris sibirica cross, but it's a keeper.

Really nice, Rick.   Hmm, I'll have to look to see whether I still have any Iris sibirica.

Here's Iris chamaeiris:

Thanks Rick, hopefully the sino siberian seedlings grow as fast as Pacific Iris.  Here's the second Pacific Iris seedling to bloom: a seedling of Iris douglasiana 'Harland Hand' x unknown Pacific Iris. The unknown pollen parent has done a lot to expand  all parts of the flowers on this one.

Iris tectorum

Iris typhifolia

Iris sanguinea hybrid - While the flower form is very similar to the species, the growth habit certainly isn't.

Iris graminea

Iris attica seed pods

These are plants grown from seed from a clear pink form of Iris setosa.  I guess we know what color is dominant here!  I grew six plants and all were normal color.

Lovely.  The Iris attica seed pods are very interesting!

Rick, I've just been wondering about your last two pictures, are you certain they are Iris setosa? I'm no expert but they do look like Iris spuria to me.

Unlike many other times when I am guilty of taking a given name for granted, I am certain those are Iris setosa.  The seed came from Todd Boland, research horticulturist at St. John's Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden.  And this is  pic of Iris setosa I grew from seed collected in the wild near Kenai, Alaska.  I think if you google Iris spuria, you'll see they are very different.  Iris setosa has almost no standards.  Iris spuria does.

Iris tectorum f. alba, and a reversion on the same plant.