I must say, I'm not terribly familiar with the "species" irises, and that must be one I've not heard of before. In general most of the most popular irises are far removed from their species ancestors and even finding the species ones may prove difficult in some cases. Sorry I'm not helping , but I will do a bit of researching perhaps to see if I can find more info. on that particular one.

Thank you so much.

Betsy

Junos grow OK outside for me in Australia in zone 9. They are grown in the UK under glass for cold protection. I couldn't say how they would do for you. Mine came either potted or from seed from the BIS and SIGNA. I would be wary of buying bulbs by mail order, incase the very delicate fleshy roots have become detached. The plant has a small bulb, with crisp fleshy roots like daylilies. These are important to the growth of the bulb and must be handled carefully. The plants require a deep root run in well drained soil, rich in nutrient. They can be grown in a rockery, or in deep pots.
They only bloom for a short period but are well worth the wait. I. magnifica is one of the easier ones to grow. The photo link below shows I. magnifica 'alba'

Here is a link that might be useful: I. magnifica 'alba'

I'm not sure I'd agree about the difficulty in locating species iris - they are about the only forms I grow :-) And there's a lot to choose from.

Junos are a bit tricky. I. bucharica is arguably the most common, resembling a small corn plant in its foliar appearance and the way it grows. Kinda short and squat and blooming mostly in shades of yellow or yellow and white. It is frequently sold potted and in bud by better retail nurseries in early spring. I. magnifica is similar in form but quite a bit larger. I. aucheri and persica are quite uncommon and may be very difficult to locate outside of SIGNA or international species associations.

They require rather specific cultural conditions. They prefer cold winters and hot, dry summers, as most species originate from the mideast or central Asia, so they often thrive in midwest gardens. Very well draining soils that are neutral to slightly alkaline (although they seem to do fine in my slightly acidic conditions). In warmer climates, they often start growing in winter and need to be protected from excessive moisture or hard frosts damaging the foliage. After blooming, allow the foliage to fully mature. You can leave the bulbs in place if your summers are dry - too much rain or irrigation will simply rot them out. If happily sited, I. bucharica in particular will naturalize rapidly.

My Juno I. bucharica is quite stunning this year. My mother gave me a root three years ago. This season it has 30 flowers open and more buds coming. I do nothing special for it. Like all my other plants I shred leaves for winter mulch.
My 5b garden is in Southern Ontario. The summers are dry and the winters obviously not wet enough to damage the roots.

I decided to search for a site to buy more as they are not common and I knew they came in other colors. I found http://www.odysseybulbs.com/iristomoraea.html this location which seams to have reasonable rates for both the plant and shipping. the last entry under iris is 5 plants for $30.00US. I think a better deal would be hard to find.
Unfortunately I would have to wait till August to recieve my plants. In the mean time I will continue to search locally for more of such a lovely plant.
Dana