The Species Iris
by Lou Emmons

ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED: 1998 Spring

Mention "species irises" to the average gardener and you will fail to arouse much interest or enthusiasm. I know, because for the past five or six years I have tried. The problem, it seems, is that when gardeners think of irises they think of the tall bearded. Nothing wrong with that. We all admire the development of these spectacular beauties.

But irises aren't just about large sizes and bold colors and ruffles and such. There are those whose appeal comes from grasslike clumps with pastel flowers that blend easily into any setting. These are the irises I want you to know about. They are the species iris, unhybridized and growing as they would in nature.

Many of my species iris are from seed I've obtained from SIGNA (Species Iris Group of North America). Although it's frustrating and slow, there are few greater thrills than watching the blooming of an iris you've only read about.

Other irises come from friends, iris fanciers I've met at conventions, writing "round robins", and through commercial suppliers (albeit few and far between).

I dug up my very first species, Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag iris) from a ditch next to Edens Expressway north of Chicago. At the time all I knew was that it was a pretty yellow flowering iris. I had no clue as to its name or how it got there, and back then I did not know about the mistake of digging from the wild. (In this case, fortunately, it wasn't a bad thing to do, as Iris pseudacorus is not a native wildflower.) This species iris was one of the first I planted about ten years ago, and it is still in its original place, blooming without fail each year in a serendipitous combination with Zizia aurea (golden Alexander)Êthe golden yellows exactly match one another.

From the dozens of catalogs I receive each year, I have culled a few species of irises generally available. They are Iris cristata, Iris pseudacorus, Iris pallida 'Variegata', Iris versicolor, and Iris ensata mix. Bulbous irises such as I. reticulata, I. danfordiae, and the "Dutch" irises are quite easy to find also. But believe me, those lists do not begin to scratch the surface of what is possible for a collection of species irises adaptable to the Midwest.

For example, Iris graminea. My first plant was the gift of Florence Stout of Wheaton, IL, our local expert on species iris, and I will be forever grateful to her. This iris has weathered eight years of Illinois droughts, sub-zero temperatures, prairie winds and, yes, even the dreaded borer.

Iris graminea forms a mid-sized clump (15-18") of glossy, dark green leaves that are compact and graceful. Its purple flowers bloom in spring with plum-like scent; when one looks down on the flowering plant, it's a ready made bouquet.

Iris lactea produces a similar fountainlike clump, though taller, with a grey cast to its leaves. The flowers of my plants are pale lavender, lightly fragrant, blooming late May/early June and, again, a highly desirable garden plant.

Iris typifolia was discovered in China very recently and I was able to obtain seeds to start plants. Although not spectacular, it is a handsome plant with very narrow leaves and dark purple flowers. The earliest of my beardless irises to bloom--two weeks or more in advance of the Siberian iris cultivars--it stands out in the perennial bed.

Iris brevicaolis and Iris fulva are late-blooming Louisiana irises which I find completely hardy. They like a richer soil and more moisture, if available, but do quite well with little attention. The former is a short (12-15") wide leafed plant bearing lovely large bright blue violet flowers with a yellow band on the falls. The latter is an easy species and quite striking in the garden with its coppery-red flowers. Both irises have zigzag rhizomes which produce fair-sized clumps in a few years.

Iris tectorum (Japanese roof iris) is a short, broad-leafed iris with a rhizome more like that of a common bearded iris. This is an "evansia" or "crested" iris, as is Iris cristata, a group of delightful irises that are quite distinctive because of the frilly crest on the falls.

Iris setosa subsp. canadensis is a dwarf form of Iris setosa and valuable for rock gardens. It forms a tight clump which is covered with lavender blue flowers in May.

Iris chrysographes is described in one catalog as the "black iris". It is not black, but it is a gorgeous deep reddish purple with a striking gold streak in the center of the falls. My plants were started from SIGNA seed and bloomed for the first time two years ago. This iris is one of a group called Sino-Siberian which includes Iris bulleyana, Iris clarkei, Iris chrysographes, Iris delavayi, Iris dykesii, Iris forrestii, and Iris wilsonii. Seeds for these irises are difficult to find, but I did acquire Iris bulleyana, which should bloom this year.

Jennifer Hewitt, an English iris species specialist, offered seed from her Sino-Siberian hybrids four years ago, from which I am getting some lovely, robust plants.

I hope that I can convince Midwest gardeners that there are beautiful wild irises out there waiting to prove themselves in your gardens. The wild iris are not easy to obtain, but are well worth the search.

Lou Emmons, along with her husband, Phil, are lifelong gardeners who have plant sales from time to time at their home, called Blossom Bend, in Richmond, IL. To get on their mailing list, you can reach them at (815) 678-4383.

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