Re: Iris humilis from Siberia

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The plant is about 4 inches high and the blossom
is 2 1/2 inches across. I tried pollenating it, but
couldn't see any pollen grains on the brush. The
flower is quite short lived. Maybe it was too late
by the time I got home from work.

A blossom opened this morning on a clump formed
by a second seedling. This one had a bit of slug
damage and we've had heavy rain. There was no
chance of a good photo and I didn't even try to
pollenate it.

If I get more than a couple seeds, I'll send them
to the SIGNA seed exchange.

Figuring out how to grow less common plants in
a particular climate can be challenging. I live
in California in zone 9. My current attempt with
Iris humilis involves planting them in large clay pots
with potting soil ammended with generous amounts
of sand and pea gravel. I water them regularly during
the summer, when we don't get any rain. This year
I put this pot under the eaves of my utility shed where
it was sheltered from winter rain for almost three
months. I did dump ice cubes around the plants for
a few nights in the middle of the winter, but don't
know if it had any effect. I image that if you live
where there is a permanent snow cover in the winter,
you'd just need a sandy, rocky, well-drained location
with no winter protection. What kind of experience
have other people had growing this iris?

Ken Walker

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