My Walking Iris

Well, I was away last weekend at a conference and when I came home all 4 of my walking iris buds had bloomed and closed! I though I'd hafta wait till next year, but another surprise-one last bloom! Here are the pictures.

The blooms are small and dainty, but the colors are....wow.

One more.

Last one (before bed).

Just lovely! I really like the colors on this one.

I really love those! So exotic looking.

beautiful!!!

Those are great photos boojum! They are really neat irises. If it's OK with you - - I'll share a couple of mine - - these are of yellow walking irises.

~ Margie

My yellow ones bloom closer towards summer. These have brown dots on them.

This one is more up-close.

If my memory serves me right - These irises originated in Brazil. Another close up one.

Please - why is it called a walking iris?

Is it possible to buy seeds from these irises? I would really love to try growing them, they are both so pretty.
Thanks Boojum and Margiempv for sharing your beautiful pictures of them.

Terri

Hi 2zeus -

They are called the WALKING IRIS because one of the ways they reproduce themselves (besides clumping through increases) is by sending out thin flower stalks that bend to the ground. (Similar to the spider plant)

At the end of these thin and about a half inch wide bendable stalks - a petite iris flower will form, bloom, then send out new leaves and roots. These new leaves and roots (if allowed to be on the ground) will anchor itself to the ground and continue to grow to form a new plant.

See photo below of one of these bendable thin stalks with the flower at the end. New leafs just below the bloom are beginning to form. Soon the new roots will begin to grow.

(Not my photo - taken from the internet to use as an example.)

Terri,

Seeds from these are only produced if they become pollinated.

In a few weeks to a month or so - - I should have some little new plants forming. At that time I could send you one or two for the price of postage to send them. Or - - when I go to divide them up this summer - - I could send you a larger one (an increase) for the price of postage. :-)

~ Margie

I got the blue and white one pictured here, it's quite lovely, strange how it makes babies LOL

I love that yellow one

kathy

Margiempv, thanks for the explanation. I ""love"" Iris, but I've never heard of a "walking" one. The only thing I've ever heard referred to as walking is an elephant ear that ButterflyChaser shared with me!

I'd love to have one... :)

FlowrLady and Kathy - - if you would like a small start of these - send me a D-mail so we can stay in touch, and when I have young starts I can send you one for the price of postage. :-)

~ Margie

If anyone is interested in other kinds of Neomarica (walking iris) you should check out brazilplants.cjb.net they offer 8 different types from seed that can be sent if your gov't allows. I ordered 41 packs of different seeds, mostly Iris family for my gardens here in FL. I am hoping they will arrive soon.

Zues, I grow mine as you would a spider plant.

scooter, that is one beautiful plant.

Scooter, that's how I grow mine too LOL looks pretty cool that way

hey dale. i am a computer illiterate. tell me exactly what to type into the box at the top of the computer screen to pull up this brazil plants place. thanks. barb

Thanks for the explanation of a walking iris. I too wondered what it was!
Beautiful photos of them.

Got a nice surprise today. Two more flowers. That makes 5 so far. Even if they only bloom 1 day, they are wonderful.

Terri1948

You could join the British Iris Society. As a member you have access to some wonderful seeds. It costs $25US annually.

http://www.britishirissociety.org.uk/index.html

unless the website has changed. If so then go to RHS and dig around in there.

Good luck,

Inanda, feeling sore from sandbagging (spring flooding)

Of course this is only if you are not allowed to import plant material from USA. I don't know about that.

Boojum, I love how you grow that one as a hanging spider plant. It looks super!!

~ Margie

Margie,
I think... you meant to address that to scooterbug. I have mine on a metal shelf and it hangs down like a spider plant, too. But I haven't posted a pic.

Oops................. yes I did mean scooterbug. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I was paying attention to how you had 5 irises hanging down and I just assumed it was you who had the hanging plant photo . But, in a way - - it is you too. ;-)

Scooterbug - - that is one super looking hanging iris! I'm glad you posted that photo! Gives me ideas too! :-)

~ Margie

Just found this thread again, and would like to know if the walking iris bloom their first year. I have some beautiful plants from a trade last summer. I have wintered them inside and just moved them outside, but I never asked when they bloom. Is there a particular season for them? The pictures above make me anxious.

Iread somewhere that they bloom in early spring. But mine are still forming buds on and off so you never know!

mine have been blooming for a few weeks now, and I have some babies that were from last spring that are now blooming. so I'd say they bloom the first year if they get big enough. All of mine have been in the greenhouse all winter, the babies are still out there, and there's one pot with no blooms yet and 2 pots with blooms on them.

kathy

Mine lived inside my sunny windows all winter and I have just moved them a week or so ago to outside, but I am leaving them in the pot since I have to bring them back inside for the winter again. The plants are beautiful, but I haven't noticed any buds. I'll check again tomorrow when I am on that side of the house. Do all of you have them in full sun? Mine are where they get some shade. I was a little afraid because it is so danged hot here in the summer.

Well, my young ones are on the floor of the greenhouse under a table getting absolutely no direct sunlight at all, and very little care. And the huge pot is on the back patio, maybe about 2 hrs of sun but not direct sun. they both are doing great.

would love to hear from some of the others as to where they are keeping theirs at

kathy

So would I. I sure would hate to lose them.

Diane

Mine is sitting on shelving in front of an east window so it only gets east light.