Re: Iris Evansia
- To: i*@Rt66.com
- Subject: Re: Iris Evansia
- From: L* P* <p*@peak.org>
- Date: Tue, 30 Apr 1996 09:41:20 -0700
At 05:35 AM 4/30/96 MDT, you wrote:
>I saw several clumps of iris evansia (sp?) in CA. Can anyone tell me more
>about this plant? Is it hardy? Tendar? If tendar, will it tolerate pot
>culture? Where can you find it?
>
>I'm obsessing.
>
>Kathy Guest
If it was *Iris tenuis* that you saw I can understand why. It is lovely and
a little tender and temperamental and as far as I know the only Pacific
native in the Evansia Group. It tends to grow under the shelter of mature
Firs and this affords it more frost protection. (My guess would be zone 7 or
8) Even with low air temperatures areas under mature firs tend to be
relatively frost free. However it does not grow too close to the trees in
their most active root zone where it would not survive the summer drought.
As with the other Pacificas, too much water in too warm a soil will rot them
very quickly. It sets seed sparsely and I can't remember where my seed came
from. The SPCNI is probably the best source for seed. Pot culture would be
most successful if you use a heavy clay pot or a stone planter and top dress
with coarse grit to help to keep the soil cool. All of this does assume that
it was I. tenuis that you saw.
Best Wishes and thanks to Kathy for all the convention reporting!
Louise H. Parsons <parsont@peak.org>
Corvallis, OR USA
USDA zone 7 , Emerald NARGS, AIS, SIGNA, SPCNI, transplanted Oregrowian
