As I understand it, the only legal way to bring an iris rhizome into the US is for the importer to buy an import permit (around $40 US) and the iris being exported has to be inspected by the government of the exporter before it can leave. It is expensive and some countries don't allow live/dormant plants to cross their boundaries at all. Seeds were once easier to transport, but now even those are in danger of more strict regulation. They also wouldn't bloom true to the variety unless they were from a "pure" species, but that too has its appeal to the hybridizingly inclined. :) That's not to say that's the only way to get them. I have heard tales from local gardeners of plants crossing borders within garments and luggage, but I can't condone illegal acts. Brock

Terry, There is no way you can plant an iris in my back forty at this time of the year and expect it to grow. It is in full sun, extreme heat, and gets rained on quite frequently. High humidities combined with heat are invitations for rot. I pot to get an advance start on root growth. Yes, this procedure saves the gardener as well as the plants, but some people call it double trouble. Why don't I request late August or September delivery? I have in the past but even though I ordered in February, March or April, I received lots of substitutes or cancellations of orders because stock had run out. I have found that many dealers don't save plants for the customer who ordered in February and requested late August delivery. Some like Keppel or Superstition will, but most have not saved things for me. So, I take delivery early and pot. That way I get what I want. I do not accept substitutes and do not like people picking irises for me I may not like and waste growing space on. I do not buy varieties listed VE because they get frozen usually; nor do I buy ones listed L or VL. They burn up in the heat. Heck, I am so picky I don't even like extras!!!! Unless I can pick 'em. More than you wanted to know! Walter Moores

Are you letting the soil dry out between deep waterings? Have you had iris a long time and is this the first time it's happened? We don't have borers, thank heavens, here. The FAQ may have information on that. Or a search will bring up old posts on the subject. They can get rot which turns the rhizomes to mush and has an awful smell. Keep them on the dry side and see what happens. If they get really soft dig and trash.

I have acquired hundreds of irises from the West Coast and hundreds more from the East Coast and Midwest. As a general rule, the West Coast irises tend to take a long time to shrink down and acclimate to northern MN before resuming their bloom cycles. In many cases, the irises (primarily TBs) have died before they've managed to adjust. In a few cases, the acclimation period has taken as long as 7 yrs before irises began blooming here. I've had a lot more difficulty getting warm climate TBs to successfully acclimate here than I have the medians. West Coast medians generally take longer to start blooming for me than those from the Midwest or East Coast, but they almost always survive the acclimation period. Laurie