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I probably shouldn't be responding, since I don't grow many. Yet. TBs have been my gateway iris drug, and I imagine that I'll probably always have more of those than anything else. But I definitely want to add more beardless this next year. Right now we just have "Caesar's Brother" and some sort of white spuria with yellow at the hafts. And a NOID that I'll discuss below. I'm excited to get Banjo Blues ever since seeing it mentioned in Renee's post about blue irises on the AIS blog. We'll get a few other Japanese at the same time, I know, but we haven't done enough research to decide on particular cultivars. So I'd be interested to hear about particular favorites.
If I may, I'm going to take the chance and ask what I know is a really dumb question. It arises out of my ignorance about beardless irises. What are the telltale distinguishing characteristics of siberian vs. spurias? Is there something (e.g., rhizome characteristics, foliage) that you can use to distinguish the two even when they're not in bloom? One reason I ask is that my friend gave me a start of some beardless NOID that I admired and I'd like to at least be able to figure out whether it's a spuria or a siberian so that I can take care of it properly. I don't recall the flower details enough to base a determination on memory.
Look at the iris link from AIS 'irises.org for the species iris group. They would show you the different types. Spuria like dry summers, which I think you have. Siberians prefer acid soil.
Hi Brett, I think visually the difference is that the spuria leaf is much more erect than the siberian. It's like a sword, where the siberian is supple. I don't know if I would be able to tell them apart by the rhizomes.
I grow spuria and sibs together, and no problem with them. Siberians can grow from neutral to acidic soil, and most of us have slightly acidic soil anyway. I also grow the Japanese right along with them.
Name: Dee Stewart Willamette Valley OR Snowpeak Iris
Brett the big difference is the rhizome, as Siberians look more like a mess of roots, while Spuria are rhizomes that grow long and fibrous in texture. Foliage Siberians thin, Spuria boarder, Japanese has a rib all the way up the foliage.
Now I really should not answer but here goes, 121 spuria, 200 siberians, 72 species, 86 Japanese,
I just ran outside and counted them. Siberians 51, Japanese 10, and 3 spuria. I love them all! I don't know what I am doing wrong with my Japanese though because they don't seem to bloom, maybe 2 of them every year, and I think Spuria are awesome, but mine haven't bloomed ever. They were planted in 2009. If I could get them to bloom I probably would get more Spuria.
I lot of my Siberians didn't bloom this year. They have nice clumps of leaves, but maybe too much fertilizer??? They are my favorite because they are so easy to take care of.
Name: Dee Stewart Willamette Valley OR Snowpeak Iris
Yup you do not have to fertilize the siberians very hard, just lightly for where you live Marilyn
I do not know why the spuria are not blooming tell me where and all and I will figure it out.
Spuria are planted in same garden as Siberians, but in the middle section. They don't get extra water, and very little fertilizer. One of the 3 doubled in size, and the other 2 are the same size as when planted, but they grew a lot taller this year than previously. I really thought they would bloom this year.
I didn't do very many crosses this year and few of them took for whatever reason. I have maybe 4 or 5 crosses that gave me seeds. I'm just starting to go through all of my collected seeds and cleaning out the chaff from the lily crosses. When I get through all of that (very tedious process) I think I will go ahead and start the JI seeds and grow them over the winter.
