Irises: Iris Classification how about posting...., 0 by Leftwood

Leftwood wrote:
I must say, I am proud of that chrysographes, even though it doesn't always look the best.

I am building a theory that DRY in the winter for most perennials is a good thing, and the evidence is mounting. My first chrysographes, bought as a plant, lived through one winter in a normal part sun garden to bloom the following summer, never to return again.

The second one, pictured here, I got as a seedling that someone in our MN Rock Garden Society had started. It was labeled as "Iris clarkei or sintenesii". I think if the grower knew it was chrysographes, she (or he) wouldn't have donated it to our sale with such a cheap price (50 cents). Anyway, where I have it now is in full sun, with very good drainage. It was large enough last year to do some surgery, and I started some new plants to put in a new garden with a little bit of shade, and cooler, yet still very good drainage. I think it will do better there.

While I wouldn't be surprised that growing it from a seedling aided in its survival, I suspect the largest contributor is its genetics. And unless you know the provenance, it's a hit and miss kind of thing for trials.