
IRIS ENSATA
Obtained from one of the most known professional breeders, this Iris boasts HUGE blooms, with wide and vibrantly colored flower petals! This is one of the most coveted iris! This mix will produce a wide variety of shapes and colors, and they have been obtained from about 30 different cultivars! It will be fun to see what comes from each seed!
Type: Hardy perennial
Height: 36", 3 feet
Location: Sun or part
Hardiness zones: 4-9, sometimes zone 3
Seeds per pack: 3
Note: This plant species is known to have toxicity. Ingestion of these seeds or this plant can cause illness such as vomiting or diarrhea. This plant family is known to cause dermatitis in some individuals. The juice or sap of these seeds or this plant may cause a skin rash or irritation. The use of gloves when handling may be beneficial.
Germination: As with many perennial seeds, these seeds require a period of moist cold to help them break dormancy. This is done by giving them a cold 'winter' period (artificial or natural), and then a warming to simulate 'spring', and time to grow! Here's how this can be done:
Obtain a planting container that has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Place the seeds just under the surface of your growing medium, and water. Place your container in a cold area (but not freezing, perhaps a refrigerator) for 6 weeks. Once the cold period is completed, place the container at room temperature for them to germinate. Be sure to keep the soil moist during this entire germination period. Seedlings will sprout a few weeks, or occasionally several months, after the warming period.
If you are planting your seeds in late winter or spring, these seeds can be planted outdoors while it is still cool out (once the ground is workable and unfrozen), to receive the cold period naturally in the garden.