The 03-52C X Rustler cross have all been children of

misfortune.  Planted out in 07, in the wet, north-facing slope

where no bearded iris should be asked to live, they bloomed

well in 08.  Taller than the named parents, but then 03-52C

was a great big thing.  (No sign that it survived the backhoe).

My general impression of the cross was tall, a bit lanky, with

buds well-spaced and well-timed, but no great bud counts. 

 

At the end of that May, the tornado came by and took down

4 mature blue spruce trees, one of which laid on them, in

standing water, for a couple of weeks.  Then iris borers made

a meal of them, so that the leftover crumbs of microfiddlers

that I painstakingly replanted have taken until now to get back

to bloom size, given the cold wet 2009 and the drought in 2010. 

 

Not much chance any of them can rebloom here, but maybe

somewhere with a longer growing season. The dark brown is

unusual and the survivors have, I guess, proven resilient.

 

Maybe tough enough for Texas?

 

Mary Lou