Re: Iris ensata spontanea variegata

Greetings:

Keith has asked  for input about some irises, specifically

<<  Iris virginica 'Contraband Girl' - purple veined in copper; sounds
lovely.>> 
 
Is a lovely plant, very vigorous and bold, and larger than the usual
virginica. Good foliage and a nice bloom, more rosy than copper. However, if
not well grown it can look rather coarse. Listed by We-Du in NC for $5.50,
probably for a very small plant. Don't know about hardiness in zone 5.

<< Sisyrinchium 'Quaint and Queer' ...  The description is what really caught
my eye: rosy bronze/peuce [sic] flowers.>>

This plant has been showing up in catalogs for the last few years. No one
seems to know who named it. There is a large planting of it at our local
botanical garden and it is more interesting than a lot of sisyrinchiums. I
would describe the blooms as a soft cocoa brown. It is  an unusual color, but
in no way is it a sunset. Plant Delights Nursery in NC lists it at $5.00, and
they say it is hardy to zone 6.

<<Iris ensata spontanea variegata... The description was vague, but enough to
get me interested.  The $25 price tag inspired me to ask the group...>>

I have a variegated ensata and love the foliage, which remains good until
fall. Now, whether mine is widely available"Silverband", or that  form often
offered simply as ensata variegata, or even this spontanea variegata, I do
not know. I hope someone will provide you with more distinguishing specifics
and anecdotes, and also explain that price, which strikes me as startlingly
high unless this is rare and surpassingly beautiful. You should be able to
snag a nice hunk of variegated ensata of some form for well under ten bucks. 

Anner Whitehead, Richmond, VA (speaking)
Henry Hall  henryanner@aol.com
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