Iris sibirica 'Siberian Iris'

[Ex. Nanos 1120 m., Slovenia]

Iridaceae: a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial up to 1.2m tall. Found damp woodland, pastures and heaths. Branched stems bearing up to 5 violet-blue flowers, with the falls veined purple on white at the base, 6-7cm across. Blooming around June. The leaves are narrow and grass like. Native to Central Europe to Russia.

USES:

Medically It has also been used to create a drug to be used as an emetic and laxative. An old traditional usage before the wedding night, Polish girls eat the cooked fruit (seeds) of Iris sibirica to help improve contraception.

GROWING INFORMATION:

To stop the germination inhibition, give seeds a warm compost (about +22°C) [about 72°F] with constant humidity for at least 6 weeks. Then keep cold (–4 to +4°C) [25 to 39°F] for 6–8 weeks. Usually, the germination starts at +4°C [39°F]. Raise temperatures gradually up to +10°C [50°F] until germination is completed. If the warm or cold period was not long enough the seeds will not germinate until the following year. They will then need another warm period (summer) and a cold period (winter). The hard-shells seeds, can be damaged, this is helpful for quicker swelling. One method is to grind the seed in dry sharp sand.

Plants prefers a humus-rich soil, succeeding in a moist border or by water. The plants are very cold tolerant, but they can be damaged when dormant if the soil is too wet.

HARVESTED: 2023*

 

APPROX. 40 SEEDS