Re: Hydophobic Iris ensta?

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Ken;

It is my understanding that in Japan some of the great displays of Japanese Iris are, in a way, not natural. I say this because they are seen in bloom in flooded pools. But I am told that these areas are only flooded in the spring prior to bloom and that for much of the year, especially winter, the pools are drained and the plants are growing in welled drained conditions. I suspect that some strains have been selected to grow in wet conditions all year, but this may be the exception, even for plants in the wild. The pictures I have see of supposedly wild I. ensata were of plants growing on hillsides. I am certain that they like a lot of water in the spring, but they may just grow naturally in high rainfall areas for spring. I have a clump that has never been divided in ten years that never gets extra water, and blooms sparsely, and does not increase much but is very perennial. Other growers that provide them with copious water tell me they have to divide and replant them every other year, or they grow out of the soil and die. Perhaps they are trying to get above the water soak soil.

Kenneth Walker <kenww@astound.net> wrote:

I obtained seeds labeled Iris ensta from the mouth of
the Budumkan river in southeastern Siberia collected
in 2002. I obtained a few seedling from them.

I have a couple Japanese iris, including spontanea that
I grow quite well in watertight oak barrels that are wet
in the winter and damp in the summer. Last fall I transplanted
one seedling into such a barrel. It died. I tried another this
spring. It died. I have three remaining seedlings in a gallon
pot. I tried setting the pot in half an inch of water. It was soon
clear that they were very unhappy! I removed the pot from
the water and they have since recovered. Is this normal
for some strains of Iris ensata? I would have thought that
Iris ensata seedling would always like "damp feet".

Ken Walker
Concord, CA USA




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