Iris
by John Yazo
Irises are early blooming and one of the easiest perennial flowers to grow.There are more than 300 species worldwide and most of them are hardy throughout the U.S. and are widely adapted to various soil conditions along with growing in full sun to partial shade. Combining different types of irises in your perennial gardens will have your garden blooming from early spring right into the summer months, then if you add repeat-blooming bearded irises to your plantings, you will be able to enjoy flowers in the late summer and early fall.
The season begins with the Dwarf Iris. They are among the first bulbs to bloom. They are followed by late-spring and early-summer varieties, which include, Bearded Irises, Siberian Irises, Louisiana Irises, Japanese Irises and the Dutch Iris, for the most part in that order of bloom.
Dwarf Irises grow from bulbs that are planted in the fall. They produce a 6-inch-tall, blue, purple or yellow flower in the early spring, in zones 4 to 9. These bulbs will naturalize over the years into neat clumps of blooms if planted in a well-drained soil.
Bearded Irises are also known as German Irises. they are grown from a fleshy root system,know as a rhizome, that grows at the soil surface. The plants stalk ranges in height from 8 to about 40 inches and are hardy in zones 3 to 9. Different cultivars of this variety are divided into groups by there height, dwarf bearded to tall bearded and blooms come in a variety of colors. All make good cut flowers, due to there stiff, upright leaves. There are also fragrant varieties that have become available in recent years. The Bearded iris is usually planted in late summer or early fall.
Siberian Irises grow to a height of 2 to 4 feet tall and hardy in zones 3 to 9. They usually have blue, white and violet flowers along with tall, grass-like foliage. These irises do well in a cool, wet conditions and thrive in full sun, they can also tolerate some shade. Plant them about 1 inch deep in full sun to part shade.
Louisiana Irises grow 2- to 4-foot-tall and are water lovers. They will grow growing along a ponds edge or just a wet spot in your yard and do well in acidic soils. They are rot-resistant and hardy in zones 5 to 9. There foliage is tall, upright, sword-like and have a broad range of flower colors, including true red.
Japanese Irises are similar to the Louisiana iris, they thrives in a wet, acid, mucky soils. They can be grown along the edge of a pond or stream, or even a partially submerged pot in your water garden. They are hardy in zones 5 to 9 and produce a 2 to 3 foot tall flower stalk with a range of flower colors from white to lavender. There foliage is ribbed and upright. They have the largest flowers of the iris species and can be easily divided once the plant has formed a large clump.
Dutch hybrids , also called Beauty Irises, are perfect to be grown for a cutting garden. Usually grown as annuals, Dutch Iris hybrids grow from a bulb that can be planted in the fall, where hardy, in zones 5 to 9 or spring. They have a orchid-like flower that blooms from late spring to early summer with an especially wide range of colors and patterns. Unlike the foliage of other irises, they have grass-like leaves.
More on Perennial Flower Gardens
If
you would like to comment on this website or have any suggestions
please feel free to contact us
