fans are usually evident under the old
ones, and these are the sites of late
summer to autumn flower production.
Divide plants frequently to keep them
strong. Some reblooming forms
include ‘Baby Blessed’ (dwarf yellow),
‘Best Bet’ (2-tone blue), ‘Champagne
Elegance’ (white/apricot), ‘Feedback’
(blue-violet), ‘Harvest of Memories’
(yellow), ‘Immortality’ (white), ‘Ozark
Rebounder’ (black-purple), ‘Sugar
Blues’ (medium-blue), and my favorite,
‘Perfume Counter’(purple), a fragrant,
tall cultivar whose foliage holds up
much longer than that of other forms.
These are all heavy feeders and will
benefit from an application of a
balanced organic fertilizer once in the
fall.
Iris sibirica
Siberian iris
iridaceae
White, blue, or purple beardless flowers;
straplike leaves
2–4 ft. high; 2 ft. wide
Full sun–part shade
Blooms May–June
Zones 3–9
pruning Deadheading doesn’t
prolong bloom of this beautiful plant,
and the smaller deadheads don’t
distract from the plant like those of
the large-flowering bearded iris. The
season is extended with the magnifi-
cent seed capsules that develop. These
hold through the winter and can be cut
in the spring and used for dried
arrangements. I remove about
two-thirds of the old flowering stalks
and leave the rest of the deadheads to
enjoy. I have found that the plants
experience reduced flowering and
vigor the following season if all the
seedheads are allowed to mature.
Reseeding can occur if some pods are
allowed to remain. Seedlings are easily
removed, and friends love them.
Siberian iris develops a nice golden
autumn color as well, and the color
holds into early winter. Wait until
spring to cut the entire plant down.
other maintenance Siberianirises are good, low-maintenance,
multiseason plants. These sturdy irises
usually are resistant to the borers and
diseases that may trouble bearded iris.
They are adaptable to a variety of soils
and will tolerate part shade but will
flop if grown in too much shade. The
fleshy-rooted plants seldom need
dividing and in fact resent it, taking a
year or longer to fully recover. Division
can be performed in the spring if
sufficient moisture is provided,
although autumn is often the best
time to divide them.
Iris sibirica
‘Caesar’s Brother’