Connie; I think you will enjoy your Blackberry lilies.
The scientific name was recently changed from
Belamcanda chinensis to Iris domestica so it really is
an Iris. In the Missouri Ozarks there ars a few
locations I know where they have been able to self sow
and maintain a rather small population of say a dozen
individuals. Let alone they are hardly a threat here.
But they do respond nicely to good garden soil. They
come from short grass/desert areas in China and
Mongolia and so can tolerate drought given a clay
soil. Iris domestica and Iris dichotoma have been
crossed several times and Park Seed introduced the
hybrids as candy lilies. To get an early start seed
can be sown inside in late winter, the seeds do not
need stratification although I have to admit I have
have times when then seemed dificult to germinate but
usually they come up easily. The hybrids range from a
seed strain of dwarfs being offered by the wholesale
Bluebeard Nurseries in Nebraska which are only a foot
tall to giants 3-4ft tall. Joe Pye Weed nursery offers
named varieties createde by Darrel Probst some have
flowers 2-4 inches across and as many as 100 flowers
per stalk (hows that for branching). Although they can
tolerate extreme conditions some gardensers have had
trounle keeping them and we need to figure out why.
Perhaps they were getting too much shade. If you
decide to breed these plants remember to regisyter
them with AIS. Unfortunately several strains and
cultivars common in commerce have never been
registered.
--- cseggen1@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 8/15/2007 2:41:42 P.M. Central
> Daylight Time,
> tmilchh@aol.com writes:
>
>
> ____________________________________
>
>
>
> Dear Connie,
> It is highly prolific. I think it will reseed
> and you will have more
> than you want. I call it a weed. But if you want you
> can cover the seed pod with
> a nylon stocking and harvest them when the pod
> breaks open and plant on top
> of the ground at that time where you want it,
> otherwise they will come up
> everywhere.
> Annette in Kentucky
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> * 1
>
>
>
>
> .
>
>
>
>
>
> Annette, in my soil, almost anything that re-seeds
> is welcome.
> I hope you are right.
>
> Thanks
>
> Connie Eggen
> Zone 5b
> Warsaw, MO
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** Get a sneak
> peek of the all-new AOL at
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