There are several people on this forum that are into the historics as well- can you post a picture or a description of the iris and maybe someone can locate a catalog source for you? Nobody has a written standard for the propriety of rustling iris and bottom line is that it comes down to your own values. I doubt it would hurt the clump and may even rejuvenate the remainder of it if you took a few divisions off the edge of it but that doesn't answer the question about if it is right or not I guess. Sorry, I don't have any more ideas than that.

Try contacting your county zoning office or perhaps the auditor to determine the legal owner of the cemetary. I expect the owner wouldn't have a problem with your digging a few rzs, but it's good of you to ask permission first.

Laurie

I know of cases where volunteers plant flowers, cut grass, or weed a portion of a cemetery. Usually its at a grave site of a relative or some one they know, but doing this for a stranger would be even more generous.

If the cemetery you mention were maintained, the maintainers would be thinning out the iris. If you thin out some iris, do a little weeding, and leave part of the cemetery looking better than you found it, I can't see how anyone could complain.

I see no difference in taking a rhizome in a negeleted cemetery than taking one growing wild on the side of the road or at an abandoned house place. In all cases the iris are just growing wild and taking a rhizome or two is not going to hurt anyone and can only help the iris even though they are making it quite well on their own. I have never gotten one from a cemetery but I don't know of any abandoned cemeteries in my area. I have several that I have gotten on the side of public roads. In this case the iris never bloom because the mowers keep them cut down. Some of these have turned out to be very lovely historics. I have one that I dug this year that I know has been growing in the same spot for 40+ years and I have never seen it bloom. It would be a different situation if the iris were maintained in a well cared for cemetery. This would be the same as stealing one out of someone's yard or garden. Just my opinion. Lee Mincy

Sometimes taking iris from old, abandoned cemetaries is the only way to preserve them. What I go by is trying to do the least harm, and respect both the plant and the deceased. Obviously someone cared or the iris wouldn't be there, but after years pass lots are forgotten. I weed, take a couple rhizomes, make sure that the clump is cared for. If there is old decayed growth I clean that too. I also tell the deceased why I am taking a bit of their flower, tell them how I want to preserve some of what they were given, and hope they will forgive my transgression. I know when I die if someone takes a couple rhizomes from my grave, but leaves it so I will still have some growing and blooming after they are done, I will still be at peace and glad someone else can enjoy my flowers. After I take the iris the cemetary becomes another one of dozens I regularly visit and graves I look after/over.

Last year I took a few different rhyzomes from our local cemetary and just today I was up there and some of them are blooming. These were severely overcrowded and I gently took a few rhyzomes from the middle of the clump (where most had died out). I cleaned the clump of dead leaves, ect. and replenished the soil with some composted manure. The clumps that I took from look better than the ones I never touched. I don't see anything wrong with it, if, like the others have said, you leave it in better shape than it was.
Heidi

I just returned from the cemetary. 10' across clumps of iris in 4 different colors. Only the ring on the outside bloomed. Talk about anguish. It was all I could do to just decorate family graves and leave the adjacent iris clumps alone. Thankfully, I didn't have a shovel. They need digging, separating, fertilizer, and so on. Beware, grave cleaners...in planting several peonies last year, I dug a spade full of rhizomes to give the peonies a tad more room. I threw them in my historic bed and, with light and proper conditions, they topped 5'. I learned my lesson. Now, I'm planting the increases from my own historics out at the cemetary.

I too can see a big difference between taking a rhizome from someones garden and rescuing a start from an old, abandoned, and excessiveley large clump. I've rescued starts from old cemetaries, high meadows in a national park and from huge clumps in municipal beds. Private gardens get a polite knock on the door and offer of a trade. I have a dear friend that 'trades' with the deceased, leaving a start from her extras on gravesites where she takes a start for herself. The deceased don't seem to mind, at least none have made a fuss about it yet. ;)

Mike

I've been eyeing cemetaries around here for the last two years and still no iris! I have got two from roadsides though.
It's a tough call, yes you are technically stealing, and if the plant was a trillium or ladyslipper I'm sure the answer would be different, but iris are not rare wildflowers.... you do no real harm lifting a rhizome here and there... if the plants are doing well they will fill in the gaps just fine, and if they are not, eventually they will die out and you will be preserving the variety.

I like to think of it this way, the plants are multiplying and trying to spread. I'm just helping them.
Kato

Thanks everyone!!!

I wish I could provide pics of the blooming iris at the cemetery, but they haven't bloomed in the 4 years that I've been here. I think they're too crowded and/or neglected. They are holding their own alongside cactus and yucca, but don't have enough reserves to bloom anymore.

I like everyone's idea of doing some maintenance and weeding in exchange for taking a few rhizomes. Seems fitting.

Stay tuned....

Nancy

Here in Australia you would just phone the local council, who would tell you if there was an authority to contact ask permission. The authority would just scratch his head, hold his chin, look thoughtful, talk to you about the weather for 1/2 hour, then say "Yeah - No worries"

Only problem is - never seem to be any irises here in cemeteries, mostly old roses.

If you leave it nicer and better cared-for than when you came, and no one else is caring for it, I say you've done a good deed. Especially if your digging is done with love toward the plants and thankfulness toward the departed.

It might be better for the cemetery in the long run to have a new friend. After you take a few rhizomes and their story becomes part of your garden's story, you'll feel connected to the cemetery and there will be one more set of watchful eyes to make sure no real vandalism, etc. happens there.

I have gotten beautiful iris from the yards of older homes in my neighborhood that are about to be bulldozed for new construction. It's always a nice surprise to see what color they will bloom. And I feel like I've rescued a little bit of past neighbors' care and energy.

What nearly everyone seems to be describing is the concept of "stewardship" - if something precious, rare or valuable is neglected, then it "belongs" to whoever looks after it. I'm all for that.

I love to go out in the country to old places like and see what is growing. My favorite Iris I have was found out in the country next to an old shack that was about to fall down. The Iris clumps were huge but probably had not bloomed in years due to a huge old Maple overhead. A buddy and I noticed this was to be bulldozed for a new shopping center or something so we took as many as we could. They are my favorites! They have that sweet old fashioned Honey fragrance and bloom reliably every year.

Some of my favorite iris are the neglected ones I have collected from vacant lots and by the roadside. What is even better is when I can ID one of these. Not that it changes anything but I love to look them up in the check list and see when they were registered and by whom and think how they may have made their way to where I found them. Lee Mincy

For Cemetery information check at the area Library local history and genealogy area most have cemetery books with some information. Also do a search or try this site.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ go to the state and county and look for cemeteries often someone's email will be listed with the cemetery.

Offer to do some cleanup and offer to carry away the excess materials. Most historical societies would welcome someone doing this and it is on closed cemeteries not necessary to be a descendant of anyone there. Just ask if you could do some cleaning because you pass it often and hate the way it looks. Just be sure to leave it in better shape than you found it and you will have earned the excess you removed.

I cleaned one in east Texas that had masses of daffodills We dug from the paths and filled in and then used a weed whacker to "Mow" the paths and left with about 35 large clumps of daffodills it took a good part of a weekend but each clump probally had 40 or 50 bulbs. I now have several clumps planted and broke the others up for borders on several beds. And I got an email from the genealogy group thanking me.

Bill Lewis