|
S H O P B A S K E T Client LoginEmail Newletter Enquiry Form
| Iris
Irises are elegant upright perennials with long stems and showy flowers. There are over 300 different species and thousands of varieties and cultivars, living in a multitude of differing conditions. They can be found in a wide range of colours, from rich blues to pinks, orange, brown, flashy yellows and even black. Many have extraordinary combinations such as butterscotch yellow and violet and beautiful, intricate patterns. Botanists have subdivided the genus into several subgenera and sections, each with common characteristics. Gardeners tend to use a more simplified horticultural classification with two main groups: Bulbous irises: the botanical groups, Reticulata, Juno and Xiphium. These iris grow from bulbs that require a period of dormancy after they have bloomed. The bulbous irises are typically smaller than rhizome irises and usually produce smaller blossoms and cylindrical basal leaves. Rhizomatous irises: these are then subdivided into the Bearded irises, and the Beardless irises. Rhizome iris tend to have thickened stems that grow horizontally, either underground or partially underground. They produce 3-10 sword shaped leaves that overlap in dense clumps, forming flat fans of green foliage. The rhizome subdivisions are :- Bearded irises include the botanical groups of Oncocyclus, Regelia, Regeliocyclus and Arilbred irises, as well as the familiar bearded irises. They have four distinct parts to the flowers: Standards, Falls, Stigma flaps and Beard. Beardless irises comprise the Pacific Coast irises, Siberian, Spuria, Laevigatae the water or Japanese irises, Louisiana, Unguiculares and Crested irises. They have Standards, Falls and Stigma flaps. Different types suit different situations; for example bearded irises are good in sunny borders, beardless Siberian iris and Japanese iris are great in and around ponds and the dwarf bulb irises grow well in rock gardens. History The iris is a native of the northern hemisphere and grows wild, from high Himalayan bogs to arid Greek hillsides and the banks of British canals. It takes its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, who brought Hera’s messages to earth in a trail of rainbow colours. Stone carvings of iris can be found at Karnak in Egypt and Pliny the Elder wrote about iris cultivation. The heraldic emblem of France is the flag iris and there are many stories as to how this came about. One is that the 5th Century king of the Franks used the bright yellow iris flowers growing on the banks of the Rhine as a guide to cross the river to safety, away from the Goths. The iris is also the emblem of Brussels and Florence, Brussels took this symbol, as the largest island in the Senne river, Saint Gaugericus Island, was carpeted in them. Florence was where the white Iris ‘florentina’ was widely grown even in its city walls. The rhizomes of this iris were dried, aged for up to 5 years and used in the production of orris for perfumes. In the late 19th century thousands of tons of dried rhizomes were exported from Florence for this use. Catherine de Medici of Florence married Louis VII of France and he wore the iris as an emblem during the crusades in the 12th century, where it became known as the ‘fleur de Louis’, ‘de luce’ or as it is more well known ‘fleur de lis’. The more stylised version of the ‘fleur de lis’ is of course the universally known symbol of the scouting organisation. Iris has also been used in many medical remedies and in early times was thought to treat conditions from such things as freckles to bad breath! Today the iris is used to produce an essential oil for use in aromatherapy and has a sedative effect. Europe’s oldest cultivated iris is thought to be ‘Iris germanica’; the Mediterranean purple flag iris which dates back to the 9th century. The first named hybrid was French, probably dating to 1822, but plant breeding really took off later that century in Cambridge in the garden of Professor Michael Foster, who crossed vigorous new Asian iris with hybrids and Iris pallida to produce the ancestors of todays varieties. Another notable person in the development of the iris is W R Dykes, a Charterhouse Schoolmaster and an authority on the iris; who wrote a book in 1913 classifying the iris and was awarded many medals by the American, Australasian and British iris societies.
Propagation can be achieved from seed or by division. Most iris species can be grown from seed, although some may take many years to flower. Hybrid irises won't grow true from seed and should ideally be propagated by division. Late summer is the best time to move or divide most forms, but divide I. cristata just after it has flowered in spring. Bulbous irises can be lifted and divided when the leaves have faded. When dividing rhizomes, keep the young, vigorous parts and discard the old. Using a garden fork, carefully dig the plant out of the ground, wash the remaining soil off and start to divide the root into single plants with a leaf fan on each. The leaf fans should then be cut down to approximately 15cm (6”). The retained sections should be allowed to dry overnight to allow cuts to seal up before replanting. This will minimize chances of disease invading the rhizomes. Water the newly planted sections in dry weather in their first season to help them establish a new root system.
Irises have very varied moisture, soil acidity and fertility requirements. The wrong conditions will kill off the plants, so care should be taken to supply as correct a growing position as possible before buying the iris, and especially before planting it. The best guide is to consider their native habitats.
Care Bearded Irises :
Iris 'Rajah' Beardless Irises :
Bulbous Iris :
In the main, iris are not prone to major pests and diseases in the UK. Aphids can be a problem during hot damp weather in the summer and these should be controlled by your preferred method. Slugs and snails are probably the worst predators and they can be deterred by using anything from slug pellets to more organic methods such as nematode control, beer traps, or even the simple, but time-consuming process of collecting them by hand in the mornings and evenings. The main diseases to look out for are : Rhizome Rot, Scorch and Rust.
Iris rhizomes The rhizome will yield to pressure, and if the skin is punctured, a noxious smell is released. Lift the affected piece, and cut back to white flesh, discarding and burning the bad part to prevent spreading the disease. Dust the cut end with sulphur powder, and replant 24 hours later in a different place. If possible, it is better to remove the soil from the original position, and replace with new before planting anything else. Scorch - is a condition where the leaf starts dying back from the tip, first turning orange/red then brown. It may not affect all the plants in a particular area, but there is currently no known remedy for this disease, and so all affected plants should be lifted and burnt to prevent it spreading. Rust – This is when brown spots appear on the leaves, usually after flowering, but can happen at any time. While it is disfiguring to the plant, it has not yet been proved to be harmful. When the leaves die down, they should be collected and burnt to prevent spreading the disease. A fungicidal spray will control the rust, although it will not remove any of the existing spots.
National collections of irises:
|  | ||||||||||||||
Accessibility | Copyright & Legal Statement | Privacy Policy
© 2006 - 2008 Kirman Contemporary Space Design, All rights reserved.