Iris, non-bearded, 2014

[TheOnionMan]

Tiny postage-sized photo John, can you post a larger image.

[Brian Ellis]

I could kick myself, we've been rushing around and I've only just thought to take this photo so it's going over.  I bought this last week as Iris 'Kimo No Obi',  I know it's not as I have it already - a lovely dark colour!  Is it variable or is this wrongly labelled, and, if so, does anyone know what it should be called?  In the self same place was one labelled as 'Innosense' (not my spelling) which looked like this one, on the web the photo of 'Innocence' shows a pure white so I guess it is not that either.  Any thoughts?

[Lesley Cox]

No ideas from me I'm afraid Brian (consider yourself kicked ) I'm only at the beginning of a love affair with the Japanese irises. Hope I live long enough for it to come to some sort of fruition, and for me to know that my passion is returned.

[Leena]

Iris bulleyana, seeds for this plant came from wild (Beima Xue Shan) some years ago.

[Brian Ellis]

No ideas from me I'm afraid Brian (consider yourself kicked ) I'm only at the beginning of a love affair with the Japanese irises. Hope I live long enough for it to come to some sort of fruition, and for me to know that my passion is returned.

Ouch!  One thing I have discovered is that there seems to be a lot of confusion in the trade, you only have to look at one variety on Google and different nurseries have different pictures attached to it!  The renowned nursery this was from admitted to finding it difficult to differentiate between 'Innocence' and 'Kimo No Obi' yet they are totally different   I hope you are enjoying looking at the plants and not doing too much

[John85]

I wonder why, in Europe, Ensatas are much more popular than Louisianas
Are Louisianas not hardier than ensatas?

[Brian Ellis]

I think Louisiana Iris have not been readily available - at least where I have been.  They seem to be 'new' here?

[Lesley Cox]

I suspect Louisianas may not be best suited for British and maybe French conditions. They grow superbly here in New Zealand and in Australia but in warm and very humid areas such as around Auckland or Sydney and the far - tropical - north of the country (NZ). Their name says it all really. Their ancestors are swamp plants and if you have an alligator handy, that would make them feel at home. They love wet or very warm and humid SUMMER conditions and a drier - but not really dry - winter. I can grow the plants really well but rarely get flowers while my sister in Tauranga and not by any means a gardener, has some magnificent clumps which bloom madly. Having said that, a friend in North Otago just maybe 120 kms north of me, and with a much drier summer, grows and flowers them quite well. They are truly gorgeous and there are at least a couple of good NZ nurseries for them and more in Oz.

The ensatas are quite as hardy (much hardier actually) but like reverse conditions. No, that's not right either. They love lots of moisture in spring and summer but not the heat to the same degree. Some are native as far north as Russia and I have some nice seed from there in the latest NZIS seed pool.

[Lesley Cox]

Leena, I'm very interested in your iris above. Perhaps with that name it is a hybrid of Iris bulleyana with something else? I don't think bullesiana is a valid name.Have you any more information about it. How tall is it? Does it set seed itself?

[Lesley Cox]

Brian, it's not surprising that the trade is confused by the named forms of Iris ensata. As with tall bearded irises (and more and more, dwarf and intermediate forms now too,) there are so many similar or identical to others This is because while the Japanese have been producing hybrids for many years, the Americans are doing likewise and inevitably breeding lines follow the same routes. so whatever comes from Japan will be replicated by American varieties. I don't know what's happening with them in the UK or Europe, if anything, but NZ and Australian breeders are diving in there too so there will be even greater confusion to come. Moreover, they set seed fairly freely and batches are released as X when they never should be, as they are, in fact, seedlings of X. It's that same old problem of plants not coming even visually, let alone genetically, true from seed but the growers of the seedlings failing to recognise that.

[Leena]

Leena, I'm very interested in your iris above. Perhaps with that name it is a hybrid of Iris bulleyana with something else? I don't think bullesiana is a valid name.Have you any more information about it. How tall is it? Does it set seed itself?

Lesley, I'm sorry, my mistake with the name. 
I had sown it 2009 from Remi Nielsen wild collected seeds  with name Iris   sp. = Iris bulleyana?   (R. & N. 126, Østsiden av Beima Xue Shan. Benzilan. Yunnan, 3.463 m, 11/10.2008).  Perhaps the leaves are about one meter, I will have to measure.
It sets seeds (I think I even sent some to the seed exchange two years ago with the name I.bulleyana), and I can send you seeds in the autumn. I sowed it's seeds two years ago, and they germinated only this spring, so it took two years for it to germinate.
I do have other irises, sibiricas and hybrids, but not close to this one, so I don't know how easily these hybridize.

[Brian Ellis]

I suspect Louisianas may not be best suited for British and maybe French conditions...They love wet or very warm and humid SUMMER conditions and a drier - but not really dry - winter...a friend in North Otago just maybe 120 kms north of me, and with a much drier summer, grows and flowers them quite well.

The ensatas are quite as hardy (much hardier actually) but like reverse conditions. No, that's not right either. They love lots of moisture in spring and summer but not the heat to the same degree. Some are native as far north as Russia and I have some nice seed from there in the latest NZIS seed pool.

Well we certainly wouldn't have a wet summer and our winters are quite dry so that would preclude me from growing them successfully I guess.

[John85]

About the Louisianas
Here we had an exceptionally wet winter and spring and they grow in heavy soil.They are still fine ,but indeed I have to water them a lot in summer(it is 30°c today)
The cvs that I was able to find are not as showy as some shown on the forum.I guess they are old ones,close to the sps ,but may be it is like for the germanicas:the older de cvs ,the stronger they are!
Nevertheless,it would be nice if I could find new cvs in the neighbouring nurseries,but that isn't the case.

[Brian Ellis]

About the Louisianas
... and they grow in heavy soil.

Aha, that also precludes me from growing them

[johnstephen29]

I'm not sure how to make them larger Mark, do you know how to?