Re: SPEC: I. virginica

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>
>I'm interested in working with i. virginica since it is a native iris
>available locally for collection. Would be interested in talking with
>anyone who is currently working with it or has previous experience.
>Mr. Shear has mentioned that very little variety is found naturally
>except for the orchid and white selections. Would be happy for
>anything that might lead me to a further investigation, perhaps texts
>or articles.
>I enjoy working with the natives, and have joined SIGNA, which seems
>to be a good resource, although I haven't been active with their
>discussions yet.
>Thanks,
>Jim Gibbons
>Zone 8a
>Coastal North Carolina

I'm interested in the natives too.  I have a nice collection of versicolor
started (about half a dozen named varieties and hundreds of unnamed
seedlings that should start blooming in 2001).  One of my goals with
versicolor is to come up with new colors/patterns and also SPEC-X hybrids
(versicolor seems very willing to cross with other species).

I also tried working with cristata for the last 2 years but have not
succeeded in getting a single pod to form.  Nor has any of my SIGNA seed
germinated (yes, I know it takes 2 years, but still nothing!)  I'll keep
trying, but it's disappointing & frustrating.

I have a white form of virginica with purple veins and a yellow signal.
And I have a pink form too.  I also have a blue form of virginica var.
shrevei.  (Virg var shrev is one that crosses readily with versicolor both
ways.)

My other favorite native is I. fulva (one of the LA species) which I've
been trying to get as many varieties as possible... sizes, shapes, colors.
And just this year I'm starting to collect brevicaulis (another locally
native LA species) in all its many forms.

I don't have any practical experience yet getting seed pods from my
virginica, but it should behave much like versicolor, which I have had
quite a bit of luck with.  The seeds should be easy to germinate too, just
like versicolor.

Dennis Kramb; dkramb@badbear.com
Cincinnati, Ohio USA; USDA Zone 6
http://www.badbear.com/dkramb/home.html
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