Beardless irises

Irises of the Limniris section are different from the bearded ones lacking a beard, so they are often called beardless. They blossom in June. They are very different from bearded sissies. First, they have innate immunity to fusariosis and other bacterial decays, secondly, they are frost-hardy, thirdly, they grow on slightly acidic and even acidic soils; fourthly, their leaves form a whole waterfall of greenery that retains its decorativeness up tothe very end of summer, and therefore they look spectacularly near water bodies; fifth, they are unpretentious, they are resistant to high humidity and practically do not require any care, no protection, since they do not have pests and diseases. Wonderful irises for the North-West region, and for any other, too.

Among them, the most common are the following:

iris Oriental - 70 cm high, with 3-4 medium-sized, usually violet-blue flowers, but there is a variety of Shneikenigin with pure white flowers and Violet with purple-violet velvet flowers;

Iris Siberian - with narrow, arched, multiple leaves and a lot of peduncles, from 80 to 100 cm in height, bearing 3-5 small flowers, usually bright blue or violet.

Siberian iris is frost-hardy, does not require shelter, prefers weakly acid soils, can grow on peat bogs. The rhizome gradually grows upwards, so an annual easy hilling is required. After 5 years, it is necessary to divide the bush, otherwise the bloom stops.

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Autumn does not cut foliage, preserving decorativity all summer. It covers the rhizome in case of large frosts, in the spring it is possible not to cut the dried leaves, they will later serve as an organic top dressing, the young foliage will struggle through these thickets, but nevertheless it wanders. Now it is of great interest to breeders around the world. They have already created more large-flowered hybrids of a fairly diverse color. We can buy a variety of Nerbridge lilac-lilac, Albo, as well as Wyoot Swirl - white, Blue-Diamond-Smoky blue, Marilyn Holmes - blue, Harpswell - blue and Even - red-violet. For certain, amateur gardeners will find others. It is possible that over time, Siberian iris hybrids will be replaced by beards in amateur gardens, while bearded capricious animals will remain only in botanical gardens.

To this group belong Iris Pestry, Iris Gladky, Iris Schetinasty. The requirements they have for the conditions of growth are the same. There are also iris marsh, blossoming later Siberian iris( per week) yellow, not so hot as beautiful flowers, but possessing straight, x-shaped, wide, beautiful leaves reaching a high altitude( 120-150 cm).It is unpretentious and frost-hardy, but it grows quite strongly, it is necessary to divide the rhizome( pink on the cut) at least once every five years. It prefers weakly acid soils, it also grows on acidic soils. It has rare variegated, low( border) forms with white flowers.

To the same group of beardless irises are also the so-called Japanese irises( iris Sword, or iris Kempfera).

They have flat flowers looking up. Japanese irises bloom in July, later than others. Actually, they are not frost-hardy enough, but there are two excellent seedlings:

V. Alferov and Altai, who in the Leningrad region hibernate without shelter. On the tall( 90 cm) peduncles a whole bouquet of bright-violet unusual flowers is revealed. At V.Alferov on petals there are whitish circles shimmering, like the Milky Way. Many do not know that Japanese irises are considered to be a group of beardless irises and strongly soil under them, thereby causing them great harm. They, like Siberian and marsh, are related to calcephobes, that is, unlike bearded irises, calcium is nottransfer. It is necessary to multiply the rhizomes by dividing the rhizomes, preferably in the beginning of August. To divide and plant should be in 5 years.

There are also irises of the Xiridion section, but unfortunately, we have very few irises of this group, mainly because they prefer an arid climate.