Water irises dying back

10 years ago

I may or may not have a problem so that's why I'm asking.

I brought a large container of water iris with me from up north. It's a large sterilite container filled with the muck and soil from the pond in which these plants grew for years. So it's a bog.

After we got here I put the container in an area that really wasnt the best for blooming - very little sun so we only got a couple of flowers and the plants looked unhappy. Finally last spring we moved it to a better place. It gets sun about 6 hours/day and soon after the move the plants started growing vigorously and looking like they should. Then they all bloomed beautifully.

Shortly after they finished blooming we got into our unseasonably hot weather and the plants started dying back. So my question is this: is this a normal process for these plants in FL (cause it never happened up north), or is it the brutal heat? Should i cit them back? BTW the rhizomes and roots look fine.

I grew these plants up north for many many years and they never died back like this before. I Never had to do anything to them other than make sure their water level was good and I fertilized them a couple times in the summer. If it's a FL thing but they come back that's fine. I can accept that. I just dont want to lose them.

Featured Answer

wisconsitom

10 years ago

Bea, do you happen to know the species? Iris virginicus? Iris versicolor? Something else? I wonder if it's been just too much disturbance, although in my experience, blue flag iris can withstand a lot of abuse. Hmmm...?

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Comments (6)

bea (zone 9a -Jax area)
Original Author
10 years ago
Tom i dont know the species. They are just the run of the mill water irises you find in any farm pond up north.

We dug those plants up when we were moving from our farm about five years ago and planted them in this ~30 gallon sterilite container on which they still are. So yes the plants moved from our farm to another place in northern KY and down here three summers ago but always in that same container. They were never dug back up since that first time out of the pond.

When we moved down here we placed the container in an area we thought would get plenty of sun, but it didnt so we only got two flowers although the plants looked ok. So last spring we moved the container to its present spot. During the spring the plants were getting five hours of sun per day and were really happy. They grew like crazy and they all bloomed beautifully. By the time blooming was done the hot summer temps, 90+, started early and that's when the plants started dying. Given that all the culture parameters have not changed EXCEPT for the quality of the sun, I'm thinking that is the issue. This sun, 800 miles further south than their provenance, is much more intense here during the summer months. Maybe it's too much for them.

Thoughts?
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User
10 years ago
Most likely, it isn't the heat, but the lack of cold that is keeping them from thriving. Northern plants usually need more cold hours to thrive and bloom, which is why we can't grow bearded irises and tulips.
bea (zone 9a -Jax area) thanked User
garyfla_gw
10 years ago
Hi

You need to find out what type of Iris .Huge family that covers the world lol

Many types require a cool/cold rest period as dirty gardener suggested while the tropicals will tolerate very little cold . Of the aquatic types you can skip the cold period by allowing the to dry out unless they are Jap[anese Siberian .Louisianna will do well without it . as will florida swamp Iris while I find the so called "Virginia" swamp Iris will grow well but fail to flower all in my experience require a lot of sun which seems to be true of the whole family??

The main thing I miss about florida gardening is tall bearded Iris l They can be grown with a reverse cycle and a LOT of hard work . Good luck with yours !!

gary
bea (zone 9a -Jax area) thanked garyfla_gw
User
10 years ago
Here's some information that might help you identify them

http://www.hortmag.com/plants/plant-profiles/water_irises
bea (zone 9a -Jax area) thanked User
wisconsitom
10 years ago
I'm leaning towards the lack of a cold period. Blue flag iris-Iris virginicus and/or Iris versicolor-are both completely cold-hardy up here and very often, that ends up being a plant that won't thrive in always-warm FL.