Re: Arils & Arilbreds

There's been enough discussion of aril & arilbred culture lately that it seems
time for one of my periodic explanations for newcomers.  

There are many different types of arils. Mathew lists some 75 different arillate
species -- not counting subspecies and synonyms.  It's a diverse group,
including oncos from the near-desert conditions of southern Israel and regelias
from the Caucasus mountains of southwestern Asia.  Modern hybrids incorporate
genes from many different species.  While their native habitats differ widely,
the overriding rule is that arils are NOT cacti.  So if someone says "arils
don't grow here", ask WHICH arils have been tried.  For example, I haven't heard
of anyone succeeding with I. nazarena in Colorado -- but I. korolkowii
reportedly thrives there.  

Arilbreds are even more diverse.  They have both aril and non-aril ancestors,
and the mixture varies.   There's been a lot of discussion on the list about the
gardenability of individual TBs because of their differing European and Asian
ancestry.  The arilbreds inherit this diversity from their TB ancestors -- and
genes from dwarf and intermediate species -- in addition to a potpourri of aril
genes. 

SOME arilbreds will grow wherever TBs, medians, or dwarfs will grow.  That
doesn't mean that ALL arilbreds can be grown in the same place or that  ANY one
arilbred can be grown anywhere (though LADY MOHR comes pretty close).  It's a
matter of matching the type with the growing conditions.  Planting a
predominantly onco arilbred in a perennial bed in the humid southeast would be
like planting a TB in southwestern desert landscaping.  

But matching cultivars to climate is a lot easier than you might think.  My
master list of aril/arilbred hybridizers shows introductions from Australia,
Canada, England, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, and the
United States (including the states of  Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.)  

Let's look at a couple of strictly geographical examples:

1.	 Many California introductions have a well-deserved reputation for beauty
-- especially the coveted onco-style signal.  If you live in California and know
how arilbreds are grown there, start with them.  But if you live in the midwest,
you'll probably have better luck initially with those that originated east of
the Rockies.  

2.	Gadd introductions have a well-deserved reputation for cold-hardiness.
If you live in the northeast, start with them.  If you live in the southwest,
you'll probably have better luck initially with those from southwestern
hybridizers.

Now, let's look at the question of bloodline:

1.	The 1/4-breds are most like TBs and are usually planted alongside them.
Many people like to start with them, but because they carry fewer aril genes
there isn't the wide range of exotic-looking flowers.

2.	The 1/2-breds usually have more aril-looking flowers.  These are the most
popular type and they can also be grown with TBs if the plantings are dug and
divided frequently.

3.	The 3/4-breds are usually considered the most beautiful.  They are also
the most diverse, because they have the most aril content and involve so many
different species.  Most of the predominantly onco 3/4-breds have come from
California, where they thrive.  They can be grown elsewhere if given good
drainage and divided annually.  The late Cope Goodwin told me he grew them in
Georgia by lifting them for the summer, like arils.  The tetraploids have enough
regelia to tolerate being left in place where oncos would not, or being lifted
for the summer.  

So I always recommend starting with those best suited to your own area.  Enjoy
success, learn from it, and THEN branch out to the other types.  For example,
here in southern New Mexico I found that introductions from Oklahoma and Texas
take the summer heat without protection while introductions from the northeast
and the west coast need shadecloth like the TBs.  Predominantly onco ones (like
those in the Shockey photos) require annual division.  

 If I'd wanted to grow iris the easy way, I'd have stuck to Hunt & Flanagan
arilbreds and forgotten about TBs.  But hybridizers rarely take the easy way
out.  I find that all of these are worth growing because each has its strengths
and its weaknesses.  I keep mixing up the genes, trying to get the beauty of the
onco signal with the open growth habits of the regelias, the cold-tolerance of
the northern varieties, and  the heat-tolerance of the southern ones.  I do this
by crossing varieties from other areas into my gardenable lines.  Gene Hunt did
this in Oklahoma.   Henry Danielson did it in Chicago.  You can do it, wherever
you are.  You may do it with arilbreds that carry the delicate veining of
korolkowii rather than the garish signal of the oncos -- but you can do it.

Sharon McAllister
73372.1745@compuserve.com
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