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Iris without Beards
by DIG-IT
by Ruby Weinberg
When most people think of iris, it is undoubtedly the bearded German hybrids that come to mind. Cultivars of many beardeds can be quite dramatic with diverse colors and bi-colors, with beards of matching or contrasting colors and blooms up to seven inches. For the uninitiated, a beard is not only the hair on a man’s face and throat but the fuzzy ridge on the falls (lower three petals) of certain iris species.
Some seem a little large for a naturalistic country garden such as mine but there is another one reason why I grow so few of them: Beardeds occasionally suffer damage from a major pest - the iris borer. These larvae of cutworm moths eat holes in rhizomes, the swollen, underground stems of most irises. Saw-toothed foliage betrays their presence, and without intervention, the entire plant will soon die.
The possibility of an attack by borers is one of those problems about which I say: I've never had it and don't want it again! However, years ago, I read that one species, Siberian iris, rarely suffers from borer damage. How true this is, and a much appreciated attribute in my large garden with its many perennials. I have neither the time nor the energy to do battle with plant pests.
Of the 200 or more species of iris, the four in my garden are beardless types. Two others here are “crested"ť with lightly raised ridges along the center of each fall. Thus far, none of these have been bothered by borers.
Siberians, my most recent success story
Clusters of Siberian hybrids, especially that old favorite Iris siberica 'White Swirl,' grace my garden in late spring. Their slender, grass-like foliage and two-foot stems do especially well in our heavy, slightly acidic, water-holding soils.
And so, two years ago, as August approached, I decided to remove the intermediate beardeds that had been growing in a triangular bed near my driveway for many long years. Although divided every three or four years and free of borers, their blooms were so sparse that I resented weeding this bed for so poor a return. It was now apparent that the soil, itself, needed enrichment.
After discarding the old iris in August, I added lots of compost and some well rotted manure to this bed. In went 16 clumps of I. sibirica 'Baby Sister,' a dwarf Siberian, 14 inches tall. They were planted about 1˝ feet apart. I anticipated violet-blue blooms with white markings called signals. 'Baby Sister' flowered well that first spring, but by the second season, every clump had at least twenty stems with two blooms each. This bed creates a charming picture in early June near our Cornus kousa as the tree begins to flower.
Japanese Iris
It is commonly thought that Iris ensata, formerly I. kaempferi, the Japanese iris, will only do well in the garden if planted near or in the shallows of a pool or stream. It is true that they benefit from an ever damp environment adjacent or within the shallows of a body of water, but they do just fine most sunny places in my garden. There are many fine two to three foot hybrids of this species. I particularly like the two-foot I. e. 'Joddle Song,' with blooms that nicely duplicate the flower color of their nearby shrubs Spiraea bumalda 'Anthony Waterer.' Look for these matching or pleasingly contrasting combinations every place in your garden.
Many hybrid Japanese iris, like the bearded Germans, also have large blooms and flared, ruffled, or flat petals in the most incredible colors. In my opinion, they don't mix well in perennial borders but look best by themselves. They infrequently need division.
If you’re not fussy about keeping hybrids pure, you can allow the Japanese to reseed as they have done for me. Sometimes the resulting plants are unusual, and I was surprised to find that one clump of I. ensata has flat petals, like nothing that I originally planted.
Yellow Flag
An ancient species, Iris pseudacorus, is a tough escapee from Europe and Asia Minor that I once found growing in a ditch in our countryside. Later, I brought it into my garden. This thick leafed, 30-40 inch plant, with its prolific and pretty yellow blooms, is all too happy along the edges of our pond where I want shade for some of our small fish. I’ve grown only the species but there are double, variegated, and cream colored cultivars as well. Actually, it’ll grow anywhere that is not hot and dry, but a careful hand is needed to remove invasive clumps.
Spurias
Not so well known are the wild irises of the Near East called Spurias. Once, from the North American Rock Garden Society's seed list, I grew some hardy Spurias called I. ochroleuca. Their butterfly-like white standards and arching falls with blotches of yellow are quite distinctive on plants that grow to a stately four feet.
Crested Species
An Eastern American native that I like (some are just so-so!) is the low, mid to late April blooming species Iris cristata, blue with raised golden crests. Although brief in bloom, it does well in shady places where the all summer foliage creeps through the bluestone of our North facing patio.
Blue or white specimens of Iris tectorum and I.t. 'Album' are the irises that the Japanese sometimes grow on their thatched roofs. They flower prolifically in mid May and have short but thick fans of foliage the rest of the season. They are great edging plants. However, division every few years is needed.
Division
You might find me lifting and dividing some iris on an occasional cooler-than-normal day in August. Division can also be accomplished in early April but this late summer chore assures me that there will be good bloom the following year.
After loosening the soil with a sharp spade around each plant, separate the rhizomes using the spade to slice the clump into smaller sections. Remove these divisions from the soil and discard all but the most vigorous. Trim the roots of the healthy ones by one-third and replant. The fans are then sheared by half. Cover the rhizomes with an inch of soil and water the transplants well and often.
All in all, if you've selected the species that best suit your soils and climate, you can't go wrong. Above are only the basics. An expert iris grower might suggest further precautionary steps but the beardless species I grow do well without much fussing.
Frog Pond Farm’s Irises:
I. ensata, Japanese iris: cultivars may be white, lilac, blue, deep pink, wine
I. siberica, Siberian iris; cultivars may be purple, violet, blue, white
I. pseudacorus, yellow flag iris; shades of yellow or gold
I. ochroleuca, butterfly iris; white with yellow blotches
I. cristata, Eastern woodland iris; blue and white with cream or gold crests
I. tectorum and I.t. 'Album' Japanese roof iris; blue with white crests, or white with yellow crests
Photographs, unless otherwise credited, by Martin Weinberg
Homepage photo by Martin Weinberg
Ruby Weinberg is the author of "The Garden Reborn." Check her out at www.thegardenreborn.com
Check out Kenneth Walker's iris info
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published August 18, 2005
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