Siberian iris are among the hardiest perennials I can think of. There were clumps of white iris, and deep purple iris around the house when we moved here 30 years ago. I’ve moved clumps of these around the garden, I’ve given them away to friends, donated them to plant sales, and I’ve even tossed divisions into the field and over to the edge of the road – see above. I don’t want you to think I planted them by the side of the road, I mean I threw them on top of the weeds. I don’t think any of them have ever died. This is obviously a plant that doesn’t need coddling.
If you want to buy Siberian iris I can think of no better nursery to recommend than Joe Pye Weed’s Garden. They have a fantastic selection of Siberians in many colors. They have not paid me to say that!
They are so beautiful in June along with the rhodies, mountain laurel and allium….I too have found they are just about indestructible except that voles LOVE them in my garden, they have naturally kept my Siberian Iris populations under control 🙁
Ellen – I have voles, but they don’t seem to do any damage to the plants.
Pat, We do live in the right climate for Siberian iris; I have many varieties in my garden, including some that I got divisions of from a friend, who got divisions of them from her aunt. My friend once divided some in fall and put the bare-root divisions aside at the top of the driveway — where she forgot about them until the following June, when the bare-root plants bloomed! In recent years, I have suffered from the depredations of my nemesis, the iris budfly; so I don’t find my Siberian irises as carefree as I once did.
Jian – Yikes! Budfly. I have never heard of this and hope I never see it.
Pat – interesting how your voles seem to have different tastes than mine! In my garden they love liatris, butterfly weed, New England aster and Siberian iris best of all. Your voles must have western-Mass.-adapted palates 🙂
I love Siberian Iris… if true to their name no wonder they can survive anywhere… anyhow… truthfully I forget their origins. Voles do dine heavily on mine however! I must divide and transplant in order to conquer the voles possibly wiping me out. May you continue on without the voles discovering yours Pat! Perhaps it’s the higher elevation? Do you even have voles? How about deer ticks? Perhaps you are awarded their absence since your winters are harder.