Spuria Iris

Today's irises are all Spuria Iris. This first one is 'Shelford Giant' which was hybridized by David Reath who was much better known for his peonies. Spurias are dryland iris and do much better in the southwest than they do here, but in a raised bed in full sun I can manage to keep them happy. These are tall, generally, mostly measuring about 4 feet to the top of the bloom. Foliage is medium green and wide and stiff. Bloom on them is probably not for another month, after a lot of the other iris are finished. They don't seem to make a large dense clump like the Siberians do, but rather a looser grouping which does expand year after year.

This is 'Blue Spiderweb' another Reath Spuria Iris. Pretty blue color. Spurias come in lots of colors, but the older ones especially tend towards the darker colors and even sometimes sort of metallic.

Selfs (flowers all in one color) seem less common in Spurias. I do like this bright yellow one. For this and the rest, I don't know their names and some may be seedlings. They were here in the garden when I married Hank, and have been moved several times so the tags are long gone. As far as moving them, they're like most other irises and should be moved after bloom when they're semi-dormant and getting ready to do their new root growth. Here that would be late July or August. Just the time I want to be out in the hot sun digging up huge, heavy clumps of irises!

Pale colors also seem to be less common in Spurias. I must like them better because I don't seem to have many pictures of the darker ones.

This would be very typical of a Spuria Iris color and one not found in lots of other types except for the Pseudacorus.

This one is sort of a metallic purple showing the very typical petals, very narrow at the base and then spoon shaped at the ends.

More iris tomorrow, maybe the Siberians which are coming into full bloom right now.