Ken: Nice job! Years ago when we sent Jim Waddick to China, we got back plants of ventricosa. I had it bloom the following year. It was very interesting to see the large inflated bracts below the flower. Unfortunately the plant did not persist in St. Louis but Jim is on the dryer side of the state and may have better luck. I am not sure that cold temperatures are the key to blooming. It may be a combinations of factors. The plant I had certainly did not have the huge root system you show and perhaps why it died because the stress of bloomig may have been too much for a first year transplant.
Hi Sean,
Wild-collected seed from species in Tenuifoliae are available on rare occasion, but most of us don't live in areas comparable to the central Asian steppes.
I have not tried growing Iris ventricosa in the ground. The attached picture is of a 34 inch deep pot (too big and heavy for me to get into a refrigerator). The iris is clearly constrained by such a shallow container. I sent a division of that plant to Dr. Waddick in Missouri; he is trying it in the ground there. His winters are "better" than mine. These plants have a reputation for not transplanting. I have a feeling that wild collected plants suffer too much root damage. I have had reasonable success repotting and dividing plants grown in pots where I can minimize root damage. However, even after 9 years I don't have large clumps. Maybe winter refrigeration will help their overall health.
Ken
On 3/13/2012 9:17 PM, Sean A. Zera wrote:
Very cool! I didn't know anyone was even growing any Tenuifoliae.
Other than having too mild a winter to trigger flowering, have you had
any success with them in the ground?
Sean Z
SE Michigan
Quoting Kenneth Walker <k*@astound.net>:
> I'm attaching a photo of a bloom on Iris ventricosa. I planted seeds
> more than 9 years ago and have been trying to figure out how to get it
> to bloom. Putting the container in a refrigerator for 3 months did the
> trick! I also have a second clone from another collection in bud. These
> iris grow in arid regions of central Asia. They protect themselves from
> the elements by locating their rhizomes 6 inches underground and have
> extensive root systems below that. For that reason, they need rather
> large planters; I can only fit one planter this large in a refrigerator.
> I have a total of !
four clones, but don't have room in my garage for two
> more refrigerators...
>
> Ken Walker
> Concord, CA USA
>
