Re: SPEC: Louisiana species
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: SPEC: Louisiana species
- From: s*@aristotle.net (J. Michael, Celia or Ben Storey)
- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 09:45:17 -0700 (MST)
> Do any of you all grow the Louisiana species Iris fulva, Iris
>nelsonii, and Iris giganticaerula? Are they difficult to grow. Since the
>originate in a similar climate, they appear to be good candidates for
>Florida. I would like to know more about these species of Iris.
Mark, I grow nelsonii and fulva. I was given some giganticaerula seeds in
summer, but lost patience waiting for them to germinate and planted rescued
LA fragments in the same pots, which were later given away! So I can't help
you there.
In my yard in Arkansas, nelsonii grows like wildfire. I've only had my
rhizomes a few months but they are happy, happy, happy. I swear every day I
look out there are more fans. I keep it and fulva in the lowest part of my
little yard, which drains very slowly after every rain and is boggy much of
the winter and spring. Fulva is coming along a little less vigorously, but
looks happy, too.
They get full sun most of the day in winter, but in summer when the maples
leaf out they get about 6 hours direct sun, and the rest of the day it's
dappled sun or shade.
The soil's somewhat acid naturally, reclaimed from a mess of vines and
amended with compost, alfalfa and rotted manure. These plants are in the
ground, not in the buried muck buckets I planted my other LAs in. All are
mulched heavily with pine needles.
I versicolor Cat Mousam is doing well in the same situation, along with two
of Henry Rowlan's LAs.
I know you're familiar with Arkansas' climate, so I won't try to define it.
It defies descriptions anyway. "Vacillating" about covers it. As all these
plants thrive in tropical Louisiana, I believe they will thrive in FL, too.
celia
storey@aristotle.net
Little Rock
