Ooooh, I like that one. What do you mean it's nothing special! (Shhhh, it might hear you. Tsk tsk!) Mine looks like it will be purple. Do you think the new clumps I seperate this season will bloom for me next year? Just wondering because they sound rather stuborn. Ooops, I mean strong willed! LOL. Doris, I've never looked into their specific needs. I got my clump about 4 years ago from a neighbor and have moved it once in that time but have never seperated it. This is its first year to bloom. Both locations were in full sun but on the dryer side of perfect and likely had similar pH - about 6.5. Toots

Hmmm - I rather thought all of Lauries questions were relevant: Where did you acquire the Sibs? At a yard sale where they had been in a box dried out for several days? In a plastic package at walmart? (do they do that?) Dug or pulled roughly from a friends garden clump? All could spell disaster. How did you handle them before you planted them? Leaving them out of the ground for too long, or dividing them into too small sections will cause problems. In what sort of soil did you plant them and did you fertilize them? Very relevant. They prefer moist, friable soil, but not too wet. They are NOT "water iris", Too much wet will kill them. What is your soil pH? They prefer a slightly acid soil, but will tolerate some lime. I would think that they would be at there most susceptible right after planting, rather than several years down the track. How much sunlight were they getting? Maybe more relevant as far as bloom, but they won't grow in heavy shade. How deeply did you plant them? It is common belief that you should plant irises like Ducks sitting on the water. If this method was used for siberians they wouldn't last long. If they were planted too deep they probably wouldn't make it either. Did you mulch them? Mulch can shift and smother. How much and how often did you water them? Either too much or too little will cause problems. What were your temps like within a month after planting? here in Australia we plant Siberians in late Autumn. Our summers would do far more damage to new plants than our winters here. Once they are established, a clump will last reasonably well with minimal water through summer, but new divisions would most likely die. Typically plants good sized divisions planted in Autumn will have increased well by Summer, and may even flower here. They certainly should be showing some green by Spring, and if not, can be presumed dead.

Ok, thanks! Sorta was excited I might have something unusual! Appreciate the info!!!

It seems to me that bloom time and repeat blooming aren't well recorded for Siberian irises. However, I see that reputable vendors such as Joe Pye Weed's Garden, Ensata Gardens, Mt Pleasant Iris Farm, and Aitken Salmon Creek Garden list certain varieties as repeat bloomers and sometimes comment on the length and/or strength of bloom. JPW is in your neck of the woods, Babs. I've had limited experience growing SIBs, but these vendors, who are also hybridizers, have earned their reputation over time and are incredibly well respected. Check out their websites. Please let us know what you end up buying for your garden!