Iris foetidissima


>     I am not familiar with Iris foetidissima.  I once heard that it's
>blooms have an unpleasant scent, so I did not persue it any further.
>

Iris foetidissima was unfortunately named, in my opinion.  The flowers have
a faint, pleasant odor, and supposedly the foliage, when crushed, smells
like "fresh beefsteak."  I can't detect this.  Anyway it grows like a weed
here and if the seeds are not harvested, it comes up throughout the
woodland garden.  I have quite a variety of plants, ranging from the usual
"vinous" (pale wine color) to smoky light blue to a creamy yellow.  My
original seed-grown plants from SIGMA were evidently quite mixed
genetically.  The flowers are not terribly conspicuous or exciting but are
fun as they bloom in almost full shade.  I think some shade is required
because one plant that come up in a sunny perennial border "burned out"
after blooming.  The deep green glossy foliage is very attractive in large
clumps.  In a tough winter it will suffer some damage, but the browned
parts can be trimmed off without any harm being done.

The flowers resemble spuria flowers and even have the characteristic drops
of nectar at the petal bases.  For two years I tried crossing it to some
un-named spuria seedlings and to I. graminea, but without result.  Some
(Roy Davidson) think foetidissima was the other parent of HOLDEN CLOUGH,
but as far as I know that cross has never been repeated.

Has it ever been considered that HC is not a hybrid at all, but a "sport"
or mutation of I. pseudacorus?  Perhaps its supposed hybrid origin was
simply assumed from the fact that it came up as an orphan in a row of I.
chrysographes seedlings.

I haven't seen the variegated variety but would be very happy to trade for
some if anybody on the list is growing it.

Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
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