Siberian Iris: What varieties perform best for you?

We started discussing reasons some varieties of Sibs bloom and increase so much better than others here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/804548/

Now I'd love input from all of you who grow Siberian Iris; which ones do you love most? What would you recommend as "must haves" for those of us that are just starting to collect them. I've grown what may be the species or perhaps Caesar for many years, and have only started trying some more modern cultivars in the last few years. Some have been a disappointment while others keep me coming back for more :)

And where is your favorite place to get them?

Thanks,
Neal

I'm going to be reading this I have to go dig some up at my neices house this spring and I'v never grown any and no one has any idea what she has they just moved there and shes not a flower preson YET LOL
Gloria

If it wasn't so cold out (37) I'd go look for a label of one that did well, 'Pink Sister' maybe, and it was from a trade.

Some of our best growers are 'Blue Snippet' McEwen--it's a short one. Then there is 'Anglesley'(Foster) which is English & also blue. 'Limeheart' is an olderwhite with green shading. 'Summer Revels' (Schafer/Sacks) is white & yellow also mid size. One that everyone likes is 'Summer Skies' which is an oldie with narrow petals, light blue & yellow--tall, shorter plants can be sited in front. Try Eartheart Gardens in Maine for the older ones and Joe Pye Weed for the Schafer/Sacks intros.

Neal,

I currently grow over 100 culitvars in my nursery and hope to increase that to 200 by the time I start doing internet sales, so I have a little experience with the various cultivars. I have been growing many of them for 14 years.

As I mentioned on the other thread, I feel the difference in growth rates, and flowering in the siberians is due to their parentage, which includes iris sibirica, typhifolia, and sanguinea.

Some of the easiest ones to grow are the old reliables. Siberian iris Caesars Brother is so mixed up in commerce that some feel it's even doubtful you could obtain the actual Caesars Brother at this point, and surely cannot be assured of getting the proper one.

A few I really like, and that I think will do well in all gardens are White Swirl, Coronation Anthem, Baby Sister and Pink Haze. They would make an all around good group for anyone starting out with them.

The popularity poll for the Siberian Iris Society is here:

http://www.socsib.org/ssipops.htm

And I would think any one of these would perform well overall.

Some great places to buy the siberians would be Joe Pye Weeds Garden (they are the hybridizers Schafer and Sacks, and are always on the cutting edge), Ensata Gardens, Aitkens, and Iris City Gardens. Eartheart Gardens carries Currier McEwen intros, and some lovely John White ones. I have experience with, and would recommend any of these sources.

Some other sources listed in the Sib Society are here:

http://www.socsib.org/ssicom.htm

Just to show you how far the siberians have come from the plain old blue, here's a couple of pictures from Joe Pye Weeds Garden to tempt you.

Charming Billy:
http://www.jpwflowers.com/cd06/images/CharmingBilly.jpg

Fond Kiss:
http://www.jpwflowers.com/cd02/images/21.jpg

Ships Are Sailing:
http://www.jpwflowers.com/cd01/images/033.jpg

And here's the one I want so much to have multiply quickly, that of course it's being slow, So Van Gogh:
http://www.jpwflowers.com/cd05/images/SoVanGoghclump.JPG

This is a Siberian Seedling that is huge when I compare it to other named varieties.
But I love it because it is not busy like many others just simple and beautiful.
A

This is Butter and Sugar oldie but increases very will and needs no extra care.

This is Frilly Vanilli I got it last year and was surprised it bloomed usually they take a couple of years to settle in

Great Falls Love
I lost this the first time I got it as a seedling but the second time she settled quickly and put on quite a show
A

Shaker's Prayer
This iris started from a single rhizome three years ago

This is an unknow Siberian I have been working with, increases well not real tall but very lovely and a good parent so far

Opps

My favoite "HERE BE DRAGONS"
I just love this one and the clumps!

2 year Clump of HBD
:)
A

Such beautiful photos!

Polly - you're trying to tempt me. I just know it!

Wow! Amazing work is being done with these beauties!

Polly, all of those you posted made me drool; Charming Billy brought a gasp! Like a watercolor painting! Oooh, and Van Gogh is amazing!

avmoran, Lovely collection! Here be Dragons is extra special! Great Falls Love has been on my want list for some time, glad to hear it performs well.

Keep those suggestions comin', and pics too :)

GS: Charming Billy had me gasping, too.

I'll second Shaker's Prayer as a "can't miss" Sib. It's extremely tall, vigorous, floriferous, and tough as nails.

Roaring Jelly is another vigorous, tough as nails Sib. Here's its pic:

Coronation Anthem is another strong-growing beauty.

Eric the Red is an old Sib that never lets me down.

Roku Oji is the strongest grower of the 6-fall type Sibs that I have grown.

Reprise is another vigorous and reliable performer, but this one may offer you repeat bloom, as well!

laurief, are all of those you posted taller growing varieties? Ooohh, Coronation Anthem has so many lovely shades of blue. I find I'm drawn to the 6-fall types and Roku Oji looks to be very showy. I'm glad to hear of a vigorous reblooming variety; although I understand they don't rebloom reliably, the occasional surprise would be worth it.

...And speaking of which, have any of you tried any that do reliably rebloom?

Boojum has great pics of Reprise and Here Be Dragons. Where is she anyway?

If you want tall, buy Shaker's Prayer. If you want repeat bloom, buy Reprise (which I think is about as reliable as repeaters get with Sibs, though it hasn't repeated for me).

Of the ones I posted, Reprise is the only one that grows with any significant height in my garden.

Reprise has rebloomed for me, but sporadically.

Shaker's Prayer is a nice tall one, and grows quite quickly into a nice clump.

If you look on the Joe Pye Weed website, Neal, it tells some of the ones that the flowers sit high above the foliage. That is a plus for me. Even though they may not be taller overall that makes them stand out.

Here's my picture of Coronation Anthem. Out of all the ones I grow, I would say it's my favorite.

Bridal Jig, Pennywhistle, Riverdance and Trim The Velvet. sit tall above the foliage. High Standards is another tall one. All are good growers.

This is Yellow Tail also doing very well for me It came as a guest two years ago a little slow the first year then WOW!!

Hellblau Im Zentrum is also a tall one
sorry about the pic storm at the time and wind this was the only flower pic I got due to damage.

Elegance and Simplicity is 43" very nice is a soft summer breeze

That Elegance and Simplicity is nice, Anita. 43" is tall for a sib.

Here's another one at 43", I just purchased last year, and I had one flower on it, so don't know it's full potential. Tall, Dark and Handsome. Don't you just love these names. I would have purchsed So Van Gogh, just by the name alone.

Tall, Dark and Handsome:

http://www.jpwflowers.com/cd07/images/TallDarkAndHandsome.jpg

With the height and the dark color, it should really stand out in the border.

Beautiful, Polly!

Well it is surely aptly named
I may have to add it to go with a couple of my seedling
Very nice thanks
A

Hi, pollyk asked me to stop by since siberians are my very fav garden flower. I'm lost in orchidland at the moment because they are in bloom, but by May I am wild for my sibs. I have 117 sibs, species, and species crosses now in my gardens (3 acres to play). I have lots of favs-Summer Sky, Riverdance, Here Be Dragons, Over in Gloryland, Appointer, Snow Prince-I could go on forever. I have lots of pics if anyone wants to see any I have. Reprise blooms for 2 months with a slight break in the middle. It didn't used to be a fav but she's won me over. Here is a pic of my Reprise walkway in front of my former house. That's my daughter about 12 years ago.

Another repeater here is Chilled Wine an oldy.

Glorious!

And in my new garden.

Another-sibs and peonies.

Row of Caeser's Bro.

Wow! I am really impressed with all of your Sibs! I understand they grow here, so I bought two last year and planted them. I didn't want to get too many until I was sure what conditions they liked. I hope mine made it through the winter. After these magnificent pictures, I will keep on trying even if the ones I planted last year didn't make it. They are stunning. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone around here who grows them so I will have to figure this out for myself.