Iris Cristata and thanks

  Hi Robins,
I have now heard great things about Iris cristata. Thanks for all of 
your responses.
 To summarize, Iris cristata are native in the eastern 1/3 of the US, 
from Georgia to Massachusetts, and north and west of there in some 
areas. They thrive mostly in dry decidous woods in moist humid eastern 
climate, but are very adaptable in garden settings in partial to full 
shade. The hardiness range is USDA zones 4a through 7b with some other 
reports in zones 3 and even 2 in one case. I also have info that they do 
well in Germany, Soviet Georgia, Latvia, and England.
 I will post this new hardiness info on my upcoming website.
 To those that don't grow them, they are 3 to 4" tall, both in leaf and 
in flower. They are strongly rhizomatous or mildly stoliniferous. They 
grow in mats on the surface of the soil in an inch or more of leaf 
litter or mulch. They spread in zones 6 and 7 about 1' per year. They 
are subject to die back from over crowding, severe drought, and flood. I 
also found that 3" of fresh mulch, not aged, will make them unhappy. I 
have found that they do well here with division every 4 years, and in 
pots with an acidic mix.
 In the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Piedmont, and the Allegheny Mountains 
of Va. NC, and WVa, they do best in highly acid, north and east facing 
rocky slopes above small rivers in deciduous woods. They grow at 
altitudes from 400 to 4000 feet in these areas, in union with Mountain 
Laurel, Rhododendron, Spirea, Blueberry, Oak, Hickory, Maple, Magnolia, 
and Liriodendron. I have also found them on old railroad beds, 
homesites, and logging roads.They are not endangered in this part of 
Virginia, and I have not seen any collection pressure here. I have been 
on rescues of several populations.
 They seem to do less well on limestone sites near here, although there 
is a wild population that is noted as being native to a limestone bluff 
region in Arkansas and Kentucky. I can't remember the reference on that, 
however. They grow well at Andre Viette Nursery in the limestone area of 
the Shenandoah Valley of Va.One of the Viette's - Scott, I think, has 
done some good hybridizing, and introduced several under the prefix 
Shenandoah.
 I have tried to breed for longer bloom, rebloom, and large size with no 
success. Jim



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