Re: I. Virginica
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: I. Virginica
- From: w* <w*@hargray.com>
- Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 19:05:56 -0700 (MST)
> I purchased a potted I. Virginica at the Mt. Diablo Iris show last
> Saturday. This iris has tall foliage, and the stems are black. The
> person who sold it to me said that the flowers are "pinkish". Is this
> the typical I. Virginica? Or is it a named clone?
We have a lot of wild I. virginica (with a small 'v') here. The foliage sometimes
exceeds 24" high, especially when growing in water. I recently snagged one from a
roadside ditch because the foliage was purple/black from the base to about half way
up the fan. That was a month ago and the new foliage put up since then is purple as
well. It may, or may not, be an environmental reaction. The plant had been growing
in a about 6 feet of water suspended in the root mass of alligator weed and other
floating aquatics. I thoroughly cleaned the rhizome and roots before planting it on
the edge of a bog garden, but I guess new foliage is influenced as much by the
rhizome as the new soil type. Maybe this is common but I had never noticed colored
foliage before and thought it could be some sort of sport. Pat B. or Don M. also see
a lot of wild I.virginica and may be able to shed some light on the colored foliage
phenomena.
All the I.virginica flowers we see are lilac to violet with purple veins and a yellow
blotch. I have read they can be white as well. If yours is pink, then maybe it
really should be a capital ' V'.
Stephen Hopkins
coastal South Carolina, USA, zone 8b
where I.pseudacorus and Clyde Redmond began blooming today
and lots of things have stalks
