Re: REB:Rebloomers Revisited

Interesting discussion, lots of good points.  Here is the opinion of
somebody who isn't too worried about detailed definitions.

To me, as for some of the others that contributed, the point is that the
plants are blooming off season when they logically shouldn't be blooming.
Whether it is from the side of same mother rhizome that already bloomed
that season, from a rhizome that was potentially ready to flower in spring,
but waited, whether from the same clump, the same clone, or whatever, the
plant is still flowering off season.  I personally think too much emphasis
is being put on the "re" part of rebloom.  To me the term is unfortunate,
and perhaps another term would be better; or, perhaps there should be more
than one category for off season flowering.

I realize that some Iris that flower off season behave differently.  I have
'Eleanor Roosevelt' all over my yard and it is a champion rebloomer, but
some clumps will get stuck in a behavioral rut for years, blooming only in
the fall, while a clump next to them will flower only in the spring.
Eventually all the clumps flower in both in spring and in fall (sometimes
in summer too), but only sometimes both in the same year.  I'm not sure how
to define this erratic behavior.  By some definitions it is only reblooming
during a fraction of the seasons that fall flowering occurs, but it is
still the same genetics that are causing the late blooming - regardless of
details.  Some "reblooming" Iris behave quite differently than this.

I can see why specific details of these behaviors might be important to
hybridizers looking for certain qualities and behaviors in their offspring,
but for most of us it is most important simply to know that a given
cultivar can and does flower off season.

Now to Laurie's particular case with 'Lilting'.  I think there are some
qualifications to what I just said, and Laurie's case perhaps fits into a
qualification.  I would hesitate to call it rebloom, off season bloom, or
whatever terminology you prefer.  The plant was divided and transplanted
soon enough before flowering that the fans that produced the bloom stalks
likely already existed, and would have been directly affected by the
transplant.  Even a little bit of shock can cause delay or abort flowering.
Assuming that these fans were already formed when the clump was moved, it
is quite likely they would have flowered normally in the spring had they
not been moved.  I would say that an off season bloom of any plant that has
been disturbed recently is perhaps an indicator of possibilities, but must
be viewed with caution until the plant is established.  If the plant does
the same after it has re-established and has been growing for more than a
year, I would call it significant.

I often have plants flower at odd times after disturbing them, sometimes
soon after the disturbance, sometimes greatly delayed, very often out of
season.

So,  I would say that Laurie's observation of 'Lilting' should be taken as
an indicator that further observation is in order, but not as a conclusion.
I should add that I don't know 'Lilting'; perhaps it is already known to be
a "rebloomer"?

Dave

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