How many of you grow Spuria Iris?

What do you think of them? When I first started coming on this forum someone posted a picture somewhere of a clump of Adriatic Blue in bloom. I thought it was the most beautiful thing.

Are they difficult? Can they take part shade? I read something about going dormant in the summer and then don't give them any water. Well, we usually have plenty of rain plus the beds here are very heavily mulched.

I just bought the one Spuria, Adriatic Blue, to see how it does for me but from the looks of the pictures of the flowers, I would love to have more.

Thanks!

I grow White Heron. I love it but it is very hard to dig to move. BEV

I was thinking that aside from afew retail growers like Dee that grow them because they sell them, I don't see much about home gardeners growing them. Well, someone must because someone must buy those ones for sale.

But I don't know if they are not so populiar because they are not well known or because they are finicky and hard to grow.

I watered the one I planted yesterday again today. Don't know how often I am supossed to water it.

I don't water mine and they grow like weeds and form big clumps. BEV
There are two clumps behind the poppies.

Rita

Spuria do not like to be potted for as long as they need to be to be sold in garden centers.

D

Snowpeak Iris and Wildwood Gardens (both in OR) and Jim Hedgecock of Comanche Acres Iris out in MO (1st VP for the Spuria Iris Society) have them on their site's with pictures ... always fun to look!

Dave Niswonger, who breed Adriatic Blue is out in MO too and can be found through AIS's (American Iris Society) page of links for Region 18. I know Chuck Chapman up in Canada grows and sell them too... so they're out there to be bought - all encouraging for those of us with winters.

Most newly planted plants like to be kept dampish until they get themselves situated in the soil... maybe for a week or two depending on your conditions. But as mentioned - once set and they get going - you can pretty much leave them alone. May want to give them a little winter mulch since you may not get much snow where you are.

The clumps can get huge in a few years time - so plant them where they will most likely stay. To dig it up could involve pickaxe, chainsaw and pole driller!

I too am interested in getting Spuria into my garden as I saw my one and only in VA a few years ago - Amanda's Eyes. I think too many people get stuck on Tall Bearded and rarely think of branching out into the other types.

While researching a type of weird iris that I dug up in Florida and moved to my NC garden, I found this post in Dave's. owing to the strange shape of the petals, I think it's a Spuria, maybe Amanda's Eyes. It is amongst some daylilies in clay soil that never gets watered, alongside my driveway. I found another iris similar to this shape in my shade garden that bloomed for the first time this early summer from planting so long ago that I have forgotten where I got it from and what it's called. Totally care free, obviously. This fall I am moving the small clumps to areas where they will receive better conditions, and where I can view the exquisite blooms.