In Response to Jean's e-mail about possible Round-up damage or a Temp fluctuation . . .
I would have to say the circumstance affecting your iris would most likely be a temperature fluctuation. See below a photo of my Jesse's Song, taken last year, 2004. I am in USDA zone 4, where it freezes hard in the winter, and sometimes has frosts when TB's are in bud. Usually, when it's that late, though, the flower will produce stalks that form tight spirals in their growth, and spathes where there will be no buds (they get the worst of the freeze.)
I do not use Round-Up, so I do not think that is what caused my mis-hap JS, which looks very similar to your photo of Agatha Christie.
Anyone else's thoughts on this??
Adam~
Adam Cordes
President -- Mio Iriarians
Hillman, Michigan
Region 6
Zone 4 (and a half. . . )
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>>Here are two photos of the damage I've seen this spring,
the like of which I've never seen here before.
Oasis War Bonnet (the red-brown plicata) is the most heavily
damaged, with misshapen petals with a strange thickened, almost
waxy texture. Agatha Christie (the blue plicata) has only slight
damage, some curling in the falls.
Can this damage be caused by a simple large fluctuation in
temperature, like our short heat wave last month?
Or is a chemical like Roundup behind it?
Enquiring minds want to know :-)
Jean
SF bay area, (freezeless) zone 9
