If it is in water it will freeze. Any that have done that here in zone 5 has died. I would plant the pot in dry ground for winter. Those grown in ground do fine. Lots of extra watering do better.

Mike G

Plant in a low spot and what Ben Hager used to call an 'acid bed,' which is mainly a lot of composted leaves, cotton gin trash, and acidic fertilizer. They can survive dry conditions but may go totally dormant (lose all of their leaves). Best to keep them moist.

There used to be a LA test garden at Cornell at Ithaca, NY.

There are also LA growers farther into upstate NY. There was a LA convention there several years ago at Rochester or Syracuse. I think they have better luck with LAs that were hybridized in Australia. It is also reported that LAs hybridized in Arkansas fare better in colder climates. A good source for cold climate LAs is Melody Wilhoit in IL.

Walter Moores

In Louisiana, native iris usually grows on the edges of bodies of water and in marshy areas that get flooded during the spring. I wouldn't say they grow in floating water, although I have pots with irises in my deck pond. The ground does not freeze in the Gulf Coast region and so they actually thrive and leaf out in the winter here. You may want to treat these irises like bulbs and dig them up in the winter. By all means, plant Louisiana irises like any bulb and they will do fine or if you have them in a water garden, bring them inside in the winter.

I hesitate to give recommendations on LA iris culture for a climate zone far different from mine, but digging up the rhizomes for winter storage is new to me. The rhizomes must be kept moist and not dry out like other bulbs, say elephant ears. If the rhizomes were dug and placed in a garage or otherwise stored, how would you provide the moisture necessary to keep them alive? Also, would they have time enough to recover and bloom between diggings? I would think leaving the rhizomes in the ground under heavy mulch would be the best bet in a climate colder than my own.

Mike, what did you do with LAs in the winter?

Walter Moores

I grew about 10 different ones and my friend near me grew 40+. They had no problem wintering over when planted in the clay soil here. Another friend got some from us but planted some at the edge of a pond and the ditch leading to the pond. All those died over the winter. Others he planted away from the water did fine.

I don't remember where they came from. Bought mine at club sale.

Mike G

I have a swamp, and was told *not* to put anything but the absolute hardiest water iris in there. Versicolor and pseudocorus handle it fine, but Louisianas go in regular, dry land beds.