Raku Blaze and Raku Rogue in the South?

Do any of you grow either Raku Blaze or Raku Rogue?

I've had them four or so years and they keep just barely hanging on. They rot every winter and barely hang on during our intense summers. I've never had them bloom. I think I'll move them this year to a shadier spot and then get rid of them next year if that doesn't help matters.

Anybody else have better luck with them?

Neil

Hi Neil,
We grow Raku Rogue here in 6b. It normally sits and multiplies slowly with small rhizomes. However the drought has given it a surge of growth this past year. Raku has grown bigger and multiplied better without water. The exact same thing can be said for Starship Enterprise during the dry weather. They are both planted on a slight slope in" hilled" up rows just like potatoes.
Raku Blaze was planted this past fall so I can't give you any info on it. Hope this helps,Dora

Both have died on me but I will try them again
A

Starship Enterprise is a slow increaser in one of my north facing beds.
I had some rot in the clump this year--but almost ALL of my iris clumps had problems in 2007. We 18 degree "highs" for 3 days in April killing most of the buds, followed by heavy rains all spring. not a pretty year.

Pictures of 2006 keep me going.

Thanks. If you've gotten it to live and bloom in east TN, I'll keep hoping for the best. Starship Enterprise is another one that hasn't bloomed for me but is growing nicely. I really like the pictures of the Raku's. Maybe one day I'll be able to take my own picture of it.

Some of the newer introductions seem to take 3-4 years to adapt to the vagaries of our crazy Iowa weather. Or they die. Starship Enterprise is worth the wait!

HI Neil,
Neither of those did very well for me. They both bloomed the first year and then went down hill from there - - only to bite the dust! :-( Both are beauties though!!

~Margie

Hi Margie-

Sorry to hear that yours died. Apparently neither Raku is very hardy. I'll continue to baby mine and see if I can coax them along. I checked them yesterday as I was pulling some weeds and pushing name tags back in the ground and they are tiny little pitiful looking things. They look as if I've planted some sdb's in amongst my TB's.

Neil

Neil, my RR never made it past year 1 here. I got mine from one of the local AIS sales after the last convention came through in DC.

roni