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Every child has heard about the ugly duckling , a warning story about an orphan bird raise by a female parent duck who grow into a beautiful swan .
No more manifest is this story than in the font of the perennial Algerian iris diaphragm , Iris unguicularis ( EYE - ris un - gwee - kew - LAIR - iss ) .
This unusual member of the Iridaceae syndicate ( and part of the Limniris subgenus ) is a messy , unattractive clump of grasslike leaves during much of the year .
Then , winter total , and the works becomes a gorgeous floral video display while most other plants are dormant .
aboriginal to the Mediterranian countries of Algeria , Greece , Turkey , and Tunesia , this strange fleur-de-lis is also known as the wintertime iris due to its backward flowering habit .
Make no mistake , if you have sex sword lily and want flowers all twelvemonth round , Algerian iris is an absolute must for your garden !
Iris Unguicularis Care
Size & Growth
Best planted in the springiness , the Algerian fleur-de-lis can grow to 18″ inches tall in dense clumps that are about as wide-cut .
They ’re ab initio ho-hum to germinate but will become fairly dissolute growers . The dark light-green foliation is tenacious , straplike , and often curve in nature .
Flowering And Fragrance
Blooming from November through March , this iris can be a little strong to see at times due to the shorter flower stalks .
The sweetened - smell out beardless flower buds are a blueish tone that opens into a lilac or lavender - colored flower , which bears a yellow shopping mall and dark purple veins . Details on barbate iris here .
These bloom have distinguishable way ( the stem on a female flower which corroborate the stigma ) , lending to both the species name unguicularis ( mean “ with a claw ” ) and the alternate scientific name Iris stylosa ( take in style ) .
As the plant life eld , they ’ll produce increasing number of flowers which can exceed 100 in a unmarried season .
Some raiser have identify the flower odor to resemble a mix of vanilla and lemon .
Several cultivars be with variations of flower people of colour , such as :
Light & Temperature
Algerian Iris is a plant that fly high in full sun all year around .
A little light nicety in the summer afternoon is pleasing , but you should avert shadows beyond this peak if you desire the best bloom of youth .
It ’s also estimable to keep it in low-toned humidity than other irises .
Winter iris can be grown alfresco in USDA hardiness zona 7 to 9 , although it will stand hot area .
You may also bring it indoors to overwinter in a gay windowpane in cooler zona where the winter is harsher .
Watering And Feeding
When to irrigate this industrial plant can be a niggling confusing . Give it some water during the saltation and fall when the soil is dry 2 ” to 3″ inches down .
While most flora need more urine in the summertime month , winter iris prefer to have a dryer rhizome .
As a result , you should only add up a little piss as need to prevent the soil from all drying out in summertime and winter .
Another counter - intuitive view of manage for Algerian sword lily is that they do n’t need to be feed .
Some growers do choose to add a small vermicide or liquid seaweed fertiliser after flowering is over or just before winter .
However , this is a practice best used only onpotted iris plant , which run to expend up the soil ’s resources faster .
Soil & Transplanting
Good drain is essential for this flag , but it demand slight beyond this .
Sandy and loose clay grease are idealistic for the wintertime iris direct for a neutral to slightly alkalic soil pH , specially when purchase apotting grime mix for Iris .
Because the works favour nutrient - pitiable grease , they ’re well adapt to many commercial-grade cactus soil .
As with many rhizomatous iris , the Algerian flag does n’t wish to be agitate .
However , it can quick become overcrowded , so you should divide the plant every 3 to 5 class , no matter of whether it ’s in a pot or the ground .
Grooming And Maintenance
Young plants would want some wintertime protection if you did n’t plant them in other spring .
It is especially true foriris plants grown from seedor if you ’re expect a winter that ’s less than soft .
Due to its unusual blooming period and short stalks , you ’ll desire to trim back some of the foliage in late autumn .
Focus on dying , diseased , or discolored farewell , but you may also shave off the leaf tips so the blooms will be more seeable .
Deadhead any spent prime throughout the winter and give the plant another trim to tidy it up after the blooming season has ended .
How To Propagate Algerian Iris?
As one of the two subgenus of Iris that grow from rhizomes instead of bulbs , the Algerian iris is best propagate through division , although it may also be grown from seed .
Winter Iris Pests Or Diseases
Winter Iris is one gainsay iris mintage with a gamy permissiveness for drought .
It ’s also tolerant to both cervid and lapin , as well as most pest .
However , be untrusting of slugs and snails , the two primary opposition of winter flag .
They can easily hide themselves in the dense glob and regard your iris flower as a tasty collation .
Fungal infectionsiris leaf spotare common because they prefer drier conditions , although they ’re also susceptible to the same bacterial and viral diseases as other unwellness .
They also have the same perniciousness , which can be dangerous to pets and cause a range of digestive job in humans .
Iris Unguicularis Uses
The cut flush of an Algerian iris can last for 4 to 5 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. in a vase , making them an excellent mesa accent for Christmas dinner .
They ’re rather mussy and grasslike during the summertime month , make them a unspoiled choice for garden borderline and walls .
As with most iris , they ’ll do well in containers , as long as the container is wide enough , but their shallow rootage systems also make them a majuscule choice for windowpane boxes .
Finally , they ’re a gross addition to garden bed alongside plants that bloom in saltation and summer , as this will signify blossom all twelvemonth round .
