Iris come in many forms, shapes, colors and sizes and the sword-like
foliage is attractive when the plant is not in bloom. Two of the most common
types of iris are bearded and Siberian.
Bearded iris have a flower with three erect petals, called standards,
and three drooping petals, called falls. The falls have a hairy center,
hence the name bearded iris. Bearded iris do best in full sun and dry,
alkaline soils.
Siberian iris have more slender leaves than the bearded iris and have
blue, purple and white beardless falls. Culture for Siberian iris is much
different than the bearded iris. Siberian iris grow best in moist soil,
full sun and naturalize well near stream beds.
Iris are relatively carefree; however, they should be divided every
three to four years. Divide the rhizomes, which are underground stems,
after the plants have finished flowering, but no later than August. Discard
any segments that are mushy or riddled with holes. Separate healthy rhizomes
into segments with one fan of leaves and several feeding roots. Cut the
leaves back to six inches. When setting the new plant, spread the roots
out in the soil and position the top third of the rhizome above the soil
surface. Arrange foliage to face outward away from the center of a group.
Adapted from an article
Painting by Pio Carlone
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