Iridodictium is a bulbous plant that grows in the mountains of Transcaucasia, as well as in the highlands of Central Asia. A small genus with 11 species.

Iridodictium is not as common in our gardens as crocuses or daffodils, but it is very attractive and not difficult to care for. Also known as snowdrop iris or reticulated iris.

During their early flowering period, iridodictiums reach only 10-15 cm in height, then the leaves grow up to 30 cm long, and in mid-summer they die off.

The bulbs are ovoid or round in shape, about 2 cm in diameter, covered with mesh scales, which are renewed every year.

Each iris and snowdrop bulb produces one big flower. The colors of the flowers are lilac, purple, blue, white, yellow with spots and stripes.

The perianth of Iridodictium consists of 6 leaflets: three inner and outer.

Like some iris, the outer perianth lobes have an orange or yellow stripe that turns into a white spot.

The beard of the reticulated iris consists of yellow hairs. Some varieties of iridodictium have flowers that have a pleasant aroma.

Using iridodictium in garden design

Iridodictiums are well suited for planting in rockeries or rock gardens, and the bulbs are best placed on the south side of large stones.

It can also be planted in cracks on top of retaining walls. In addition, the plant is suitable for forcing, starting in January and throughout the entire period of winter and early spring, as well as for making compositions together with hyacinths, crocuses and primroses.

Location and planting of iridodictium

Requires sunny locations for good development. Large reticulated iris bulbs are planted at a depth of 8 cm, and small ones - 4 cm. The distance between iridodictium bulbs should be 10 cm. It is best to plant the same as crocuses - in groups of 10 bulbs.

Soil

Irises and snowdrops need slightly alkaline or neutral, well-drained soil. They grow poorly in wet soil and become sick.

Caring for iridodictiums

While the leaves are green, at the beginning of summer, the bulbs are fed in small doses mineral fertilizer, water only during drought, but winter period mulch with compost. Without transplanting in one place, the reticulated iris grows for 5 years.

After flowering, the plant requires more heat and dry living conditions, so it must be protected from rain and covered with glass.

You can also dig up the iridodictium bulbs and move them to a dry room until the beginning of October, then plant them again in the ground, burying them to a depth of 6 cm. Where moisture is retained, it is best to dig up the bulbs before the arrival of winter.

Reproduction of Iridodictium

Seeds and vegetatively. Iris - snowdrop bulbs are planted to a depth of 7-12 cm, it all depends on their size. The bulbs are dug up in June, when the foliage turns yellow, without waiting for it to dry out.

Dry for several days at a temperature of 23 degrees, clean and store until August at the same temperature, then until planting at 16 degrees.

Large flowering bulbs sometimes break up into small bulbs that do not bloom. If this action does not stop, the only solution is to buy flowering bulbs every year.

To obtain iridodictium seeds, artificial pollination is carried out. Sow the seeds immediately after collection, then next spring good shoots appear.

Seedlings are planted in the garden bed, and after a few years they are planted in a permanent location. These bulbs bloom 3 years after sowing.

Iridodictium varieties retain their characteristics only during vegetative propagation by daughter bulbs; the characteristics of Iridodictium species are also preserved during sowing.

Watering iridodictium

The presence of moisture in the soil is important during the formation of buds. After a harsh winter, it is usually sufficient and no watering is required.

Iridodictiums- this is the name of these spring primroses, translated from Greek it means “ reticulate iris" Iridodictiums are beautiful spring plants which have long been used in gardening, mainly these natural views and varieties based on them.

Genus Iridodictium (Iridodictium) includes approximately 11 species of early flowering bulbous plants. In nature, they live in meadows and mountainous regions of the Caucasus, Asia Minor and Central Asia. These plants belong to the iris family; even in appearance, the flowers of iridodictiums are similar to the flowers of summer-blooming irises, so they are often called snowdrop irises, since they bloom at about the same time as soon as the snow melts.

The difference from the summer flowers of irises is that iridodictiums have a bulb instead of a rhizome. The bulbs of iridoduthiums are small, ovoid, 1.5-3.5 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, diameter. Small bulbs are covered with thin mesh scales.

Peduncles together with leaves, like spiers, rise from the ground in April, after the snow melts. Iridodictiums are low plants, their flowers open at a height of 7-15 cm, the leaves grow quickly and by the end of flowering can reach a length of 50-60 cm. The flowering period of snowdrop irises is 2-3 weeks.

Iridodictium flowers are single, 5-7 cm in diameter. Like all irises, they have three outer wide petals bent downwards and three inner petals directed upwards. The colors of the flowers are bright - blue, cyan, violet, purple, yellow, with black specks and yellow spots on the lower wide petals.

Reticulated irises make excellent company with other spring primroses - scillas, muscari, pushkinias, crocuses, snowdrops. These flowers look best in a group on the lawn, in a rock garden or on an alpine hill. Bulbous irises can be used for forcing in winter.

The most common types in culture are:

Iridodictium Dunford(I. danfordiae) has bright yellow flowers. The homeland of these flowers is Türkiye.

Iridodictium reticularis(I. reticulatum) with purple flowers. Many varieties have been created based on this species.

Iridodictium Vinogradova(I. winogradowi) comes from Georgia, in nature it is an almost endangered species, but in cultivation this iris turned out to be the most unpretentious, unlike others, it does not require annual digging and drying of the bulbs. Iridodictium vinogradova has very spectacular large flowers of pale yellow color; there are varieties of other colors.

Planting and care.

For good flowering Plant iridodictium bulbs in sunny places or in slight shade. The soil should be light, loose, at the same time rich in nutrients and neutral. In acidic, swampy soil or heavy, constantly wet soil, Iridodictium bulbs often die.

Bulb planting time reticulate irises, like all spring bulbous flowers, occurs in autumn, September - October. Bury the bulbs according to the rules, to triple the height of the bulb, approximately 7-10 cm in light, loose soil, and to double the height in heavy soil. Place the bulbs in groups at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other.

Iridodictium bulbs are quite winter-hardy, but to prevent them from germinating during the winter thaw, the plantings are mulched with dry leaves or peat. In the spring, the mulch is removed, the soil is loosened and a complex water-soluble fertilizer is applied.

During the period of growth and flowering, iridodictiums are watered in dry weather, after which the soil is loosened and weeded. Wilted flowers are cut off unless you want to collect the seeds. Leaves are removed only after complete drying, so that nutrients passed from them into bulbs. At the beginning of summer, not a trace remains of the netted irises, so they are placed next to summer plants, which will cover the resulting bald spots from spring flowers.

Without replanting, iridodictium bulbs can grow for 3-6 years on light, loose soil; it is recommended to dig up bulbs from heavy soil and dry them annually. The bulbs are dug up until the foliage has completely disappeared, in June. First, the bulbs are dried for 2-3 weeks with dry dark room, then cleaned of soil and leaves, the children are separated and stored in a dry place until planting.

Bulbous irises are usually propagated by daughter bulbs; they bloom faster and perfectly retain varietal characteristics. When propagating from seeds, sowing is done before winter. The seedlings will bloom only in the 3-5th year.

Iridodictium for a long time attributed to the genus Iris, distinguished in separate group- bulbous irises. Indeed, these are cute mountain plants from the iridaceae (iris, or iris) family, their structure is very similar to irises, only instead of a rhizome they have a bulb. Disputes about the legality of such a decision did not subside for two centuries, and by the middle of the last century, restless taxonomists still distinguished “false irises” into an independent genus. Now low, small-bulbed irises are called iridodictium, and large-bulbed irises are called xyphium.

However, due to traditional conservatism, Western European manufacturers and suppliers of floriculture products continue to use outdated terminology, introducing some confusion into the names of these crops. Let's take a closer look at plants whose graceful flowers are really very similar to iris flowers, and their unpretentiousness in cultivation and varied flowering periods allow us to significantly expand the collection of “orcas” in our garden. By the way, half-forgotten Russian word“Kasatik,” which defines the name of the entire family, means dear, desired, beloved.

Description of iridodictium

They appear in the garden at the same time as crocuses. Their flowers are ahead of the development of leaves, and the degree of this advance is an important species characteristic for determining the species and group of the plant. The mentioned differences (the presence of a bulb and the development of flowers before leaves) gave Russian botanists grounds to insist on separating these plants into the independent genus Iridodictium.

Mrs. Dunford's iridodictium (I. danfordiae) Danford's iris appears first in the spring. He is the most impatient. Miniature baby with a height of only 10 cm with small yellow flowers with a greenish speck and a corolla diameter of no more than 3-5 cm, like a persistent tin soldier, with desperate courage it resists night frosts and other adversities of early spring. The plant has a wonderful aroma of freshness. At one time it was discovered in the mountains of Turkey and introduced into culture by Mrs. Dunford. We are most often supplied with garden clones of this wild species.

The plant differs from other representatives of “bulbous irises” not only in its dwarf growth and the absence of upper “petals” (standards) of the flower, which makes it very similar to a miniature iris, but also in the complete sterility of the flowers. It reproduces only vegetatively, forming one or two small replacement bulbs and a mass of babies, the size of a grain of rice, at the base of the mother bulb. To form larger replacement bulbs, Mrs. Dunford’s iridodictium is recommended to be planted a little deeper than is customary for other representatives of the genus, to a depth of 6-10 cm, taking into account the size of the planting material and the mechanical composition of the soil.

Iris reticulata (I. reticulata)

Iridodictium reticulata (I reticulata) - blooms in the garden in early April, almost simultaneously with the hybrid large-flowered crocuses. Large, charming flowers shudder with their delicate petals under the elastic pressure of the spring wind, like a bright tropical butterfly fluttering its wings on a stem. The mesmerizing bloom lasts about three weeks. Each flower stays open for 3-5 days. This is the most common iridodictium in culture, the varieties of which were obtained as a result natural selection and interspecific crossing of Iris reticulum, Iris Becker and Iris historioides, but retaining the main hereditary characteristics of Iris reticulum: characteristic flower color, early flowering and a bulb covered with a reticulum.

In Western catalogs they are called “varieties of reticulated iris.” There are more than 20 varieties of Iridodictium reticulum in commercial circulation today. The plants are quite unpretentious in cultivation, reproduce well vegetatively, forming three to four new bulbs per year, and produce quite viable seeds. A small oblong bulb, 3-4 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, covered with a mesh-fibrous shell, hence the name of the species. Height flowering plant 12-15 cm. The flowers are large, 5-7 cm in size, fragrant, rich blue, cyan, or violet-purple in color with a bright yellow-orange or white spot on the lower petal. There are white forms "Alba" and "Natasha". In the catalogs you will find absolutely charming varieties:

• "Cantab"
• "Harmony"
• "Edward"
• "J.S. Dijt"
• "Pauline"

Hybrid Katarina Hodgkin

Another amazing plant is a hybrid between irises histrioides major and iris Vinogradov - “Katharine Hodgkin”. Bred more than half a century ago, it remains today the best among the bulbous irises of this group. Large, up to 10 cm, fragrant flowers with wide petals of a discreetly elegant bluish-gray color. It is very difficult to describe the full color of the flower; it seems that its petals shimmer with greenish cosmic light. This beautiful flower was named after a lovely woman and dedicated to the wife of the famous botanist Hodgkin.

Later, based on the Vinogradov and historioides irises, other varieties “Frank Elder” and “Sheila Ann Germaney” were bred, but Katarina still remains an unsurpassed masterpiece of selection. Plants of this group are more tolerant of turf and soil moisture in summer period. They can be grown without digging and replanting for up to 5 years. They reproduce by replacement bulbs and offspring, which the plant produces in large quantities.

Growing and care

Growing iridodictiums is not difficult. The culture is winter-hardy and does not require any special care. Grows well in well-lit, sunny areas with drained neutral or slightly alkaline soil, but does not tolerate excess moisture. During the summer dormancy period, Iridodictium requires dry maintenance. In nature, plants live in the mountains and foothills of the Caucasus, Asia Minor and Western Asia, and the biology of their development assumes the presence of a cool spring with sufficient precipitation, a hot dry summer and a snowy winter without thaws and snow blowing. If climatic conditions your area is far from ideal, summer rains are a common occurrence, and the sticky soil on the site, like sandwich butter, is smeared on a shovel, then it is better to grow them on a raised hill or on the south side of a large tree, lilac bush, the roots of which, like a pump, will draw out excess moisture .

Like another one reliable option For plant conservation, I can suggest digging up the bulbs every year after flowering.

It is the absence or untimely digging of bulbs that main reason failures in growing this crop and the disease of the bulbs with “ink spot”.

By the way, the dense leaves of iridodictium tend to remain green for a long time, even if the bulb itself has long gone into a dormant state. Therefore, you should not wait for them to dry completely. A signal to dig up can be considered yellowing of the upper part of the leaf blade and lodging of the leaves. Having selected the nests, but without tearing off the leaves, we dry them for several days at +23...25°C and then clean them. Before planting, store the bulbs in sawdust in a dry and dark room, maintaining a temperature of +17...20°C. In the steppe and forest-steppe parts of the country, where rains are not frequent in summer, plants can not be dug up for up to three to five years. We plant it in the ground at the end of September-October to a depth of 6-8 cm (2-3 bulb heights), with a distance between plants of 10-15 cm.

Iridodictium in landscape design

All iridodictiums look great both on an alpine hill and in a rock garden, as well as in a simple flower garden, on a lawn near a large stone and in a flowerpot near the porch of a house. You can plant plant bulbs in large cracks at the top of the retaining wall, along with sedum and sedum. All iridodictiums are suitable for early winter forcing in pots.

The first flowers are the most desirable; the heralds of spring are associated with the warmth of the sun, light, and the imminent onset of the summer season.

Irises are extremely popular among gardeners; lush original buds of all colors of the rainbow open in country flower beds from the beginning of May. The number of species of this plant is huge, exceeding eight hundred. This allows you to select flowers of the desired combinations and create compositions of unearthly beauty.

General information about iridodictiums

Traditional garden irises– rhizomatous, iridodictiums reproduce by ovoid bulbs, they are called “snowdrop irises.” The height during flowering is only 15 cm, then the leaves continue to grow, they reach a length of half a meter. The flowers are brightly and originally colored, the very name of the plant speaks about this: dictiun - “mesh”, iris - “rainbow”. The color is violet, blue and pale blue, white, blue, pink and red, purple, orange. Spots and stripes add decorativeness. Some varieties emit aroma. The fruits are large capsules and crack when ripe.

Caring for irises: secrets of gardeners

Soil preparation

The plant is not overly demanding, but there are several rules that should be taken into account:

• irises do not like waterlogged soils;
• do not tolerate soil poor in minerals;
• need sunshine.

To avoid excessive dampness, flowers can be planted on an artificial slope with a slope of south side, arrange drainage. It is enough to raise the flower bed by 20–30 cm and ensure reliable drainage of rainwater. Irises love the sun, but are willing to spend part of their time in the shade; it is best to lay out a flower garden in an area where both are present during the day. Before planting, the soil is enriched organic fertilizers, dig up, loosen. It is better to apply manure in advance, a year before planting.

The best soil for bulbous plants is limestone. An alkaline reaction can be achieved by adding chalk, lime, eggshells. Sandy soil is diluted with humus, ash and superphosphate are added to it at the rate of: 40 g of fertilizer per square meter. On the contrary, coarse sand, the same humus and compost are added to clay.

The place where the iris is planted cannot be changed for ten years. The plant's ability to grow rapidly can lead to soil depletion and the need to change the location of the flower bed.

Planting bulbs

The features of this agricultural work depend on the variety. In temperate latitudes, Turkish and Caucasian iridodictiums, as well as their hybrids, take root well and tolerate winter cold. In order to protect purchased bulbs from fungi in advance, they are treated with appropriate compounds. On dry and open place it is necessary to make shallow holes up to 7 cm. Cover the bulbs with soil, but do not compact them; you can add sand. In summer, when the leaves and stems die off naturally, small daughter bulbs are separated and used for further propagation.

Bulbs of the “Juno” variety differ from other types in their large size and the presence of fleshy roots, which should be handled with care; as a result of their damage, the plant may die. Most best period planting bulbous irises - last days September or the first ten days of the next month. Planting material carefully lower into the holes and sprinkle soil mixture up to 5–6 cm thick. Summer preparation of the bulbs involves digging them up after the plant has withered and drying them in a warm room with temperatures up to +25 degrees. Another option: cover the flowerbed with rain film until the beginning of October. Reproduction of this variety produced by daughter bulbs or seeds sown in special boxes. Shoots appear in the second year after planting.

The distance between plants when planting can be either minimal, twice the width of the bulb, in which case a bush is formed, or up to half a meter, if there is a need to make single plantings. In the second case, the plants will bloom more luxuriantly.

Propagation by seeds

Seeds are sown immediately after collection to a depth of 2–4 cm. Friendly shoots appear early spring, but such plantings bloom only after 4–5 years. With this type of propagation, the characteristics of the variety may not be preserved.

Dropping into cart

In stores you can purchase a special basket for planting bulbs. It is made of plastic with holes.

To plant irises in a basket, you need to remove part of the turf at the future planting site, dig a hole to a depth of 30 cm, the basket should fit completely in it. Fertilizer is poured into the bottom of the hole, a basket is placed, filled with moistened soil and the bulbs are planted. Planting material is poured thin layer soil, the removed piece of turf is returned to its place. This planting will allow the plant to spend the winter in favorable conditions. If necessary, the basket can be easily removed from the ground along with the bulbs and moved indoors for drying.

Care: watering, fertilizing

During the rainy season, irises are not watered, and in dry times, the flowers are moderately irrigated exclusively in the evening.

In the spring, after waiting for the top layer of soil to dry out, apply fertilizers - ready-made solutions and dry mixes. You can simply sprinkle small granules on top of the soil and loosen them well top layer without catching the roots.

Three-stage option for feeding irises:

• in spring, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (2:1:3) are applied to dry soil;
• at the moment of bud formation, the same composition, but different proportions - 3:1:3;
• a month after the start of flowering - potassium and phosphorus (1:1).

Regular and proper feeding provides fast and long flowering, high decorative qualities. Applying fertilizers during the period of flower bud formation will ensure good plant development next year. Excess nitrogen can cause undesirable effects: foliage cover will develop rapidly, but the iris will not bloom.

The most popular types and varieties

Iridodictium reticularis

Comes from the Caucasus, in wildlife the plant blooms purple or light blue flowers with a yellow stripe. The following hybrid varieties have been obtained in cultivation:

• "Paulina" is a rich pink-purple flower with white spots;
• "Cantab" - pale blue with bright orange spots;
• "GS Didj" - purple-violet with orange spots;
• "Joyce" and "Harmony" - blue with bright yellow;
• "Clarett" - pale blue with dark spots;
• “Jenin” is even lighter with bright yellow stripes;
• "Natasha" - white with a bluish tint.

Irises Vinogradova- also a Caucasian species with large light yellow flowers, rarely found in nature. The most famous variety is “Katharine Hodkin”, the color is a mixture of yellow and pale blue.

Iris Dunford- comes from Turkey. Bright yellow and fragrant flowers with small greenish spots.

Iris Kolpakovsky grows on rocky and forested mountain slopes Central Asia. The flowers are light purple with dark specks.

Iris variegated- a bulbous plant with blue flowers with white or golden spots.

Spring irises of the "Juno" group

Sun lovers bulbous plants, require humus-rich soil. Planting is carried out in September or October, planting depth is 5 cm, the distance between irises is from 15 to 25 cm.

Bukhara iris grows up to 30 cm high, blooms with creamy yellow flowers in April.

Iris magnificent, height – up to 60 cm, flowers – purple with white spots, blooms in May.

Iris greeberianova, height – up to 30 cm, flowering – in April, flowers – blue with white spots.

Dwarf bearded vultures look good when planted on alpine roller coaster next to ground cover plants.

Summer-blooming irises of the Xyphium group

The varieties are sun-loving and low-hardy, height up to 60 cm. They bloom in summer and are good for cutting. The bulbs are planted in the fall to a depth of 10–15 cm and at the same distance from each other. They bloom earlier than others Dutch varieties, in June and July - English irises, July is the time for Spanish varieties.

Bulbous irises in the landscape

Iridodictiums are suitable for planting on. The plant goes well with other early spring blooming plants. With the help of irises, you can create bright flowering spots in places where other plants feel uncomfortable. Single plantings are recommended rocky gardens, in mixborders, in flower beds, group clumps on the lawn are beautiful.

Diseases and pests: preventive measures

To prevent the appearance of uninvited guests, it is necessary to spray irises every two weeks. The procedures should begin from the period when the foliage reaches a size of 10 cm. There are universal pesticides on sale. As soon as the buds appear, the treatment is stopped.

Often plants become sick with bacteriosis, which affects the roots and bulbs, causing rotting of individual parts. The iris must be dug up, damaged parts removed, washed in a solution of potassium permanganate and replanted in a new location. It is not so easy to notice the onset of the disease: the number of leaves in a bunch decreases, problems appear with the formation of flower buds.

good preventative measure is to remove the old stem along with leaves and peduncles when preparing the bulbs for next year. Dead parts of the plant may contain insect pests.

Proper, traditional care of bulbous irises guarantees bright flowering and the creation of unique flower arrangements on the site.

Photo of bulbous irises

Iris reticulum.

Bright early spring bulbous plants - iridodictiums - are relatively rarely grown by our amateurs and professionals in open ground. IN natural conditions grow on the mountain slopes of Transcaucasia, Turkey, Iran.

Iridodictyum is a small genus of plants belonging to the iris family. The bulbs are oblong or spherical in shape, with a diameter of about 2 cm. They are always covered with mesh scales. The leaves are narrow, long, tri- or tetrahedral.

Iridodictium flowers have an exquisite aroma. The color depends on the species and variety, and can vary from white to purple, with characteristic transitions to light colors and a prominent beard.

The perianth has 6 lobes (petals), of which 3 are internal (narrow, notched in the upper part, corrugated, lighter) and 3 are external (horizontally bent, with a bright stripe in the middle). The fruit is a capsule containing irregular shape seeds.

In spring, flower stalks appear before leaves. By the time the flower blooms, the leaves reach only 10 cm, and over time they stretch up to 45 cm. Approximately by the beginning of July, the plant goes dormant. The leaves begin to turn yellow and later die.

Growing and care

Iridodictiums should be planted in a sunny place. The soil should not retain moisture for a long time. In areas with clay soil Before planting, you need to make drainage (pour a layer of pebbles into landing hole), and mix the soil with sand. The nutritional value of the soil is not particularly important. Watering is required only in dry spring during the flowering period; as a rule, there is enough precipitation.

By analogy with hyacinths and tulips, iridodictiums are planted in the fall. It is advisable to process the planting material fungicidal drug, for example, "Maxim". Planting depth is from 8 to 10 cm for adult specimens, less for young ones. Subsequent mulching is desirable to prevent premature germination during winter thaws.

Iridodictiums can grow without replanting for up to 5 years, if there is no prolonged rain in the summer. Excess moisture during the dormant period of the bulbs can lead to fungal diseases. In regions with rainy summers, after the growing season (when a third of the leaves turn yellow), the bulbs need to be dug up. Place in a shaded place, wait until the leaves dry completely, and remove them. The bulbs should be stored away from sunlight, at a temperature not exceeding 25 ° C (conveniently in fabric bags suspended under a canopy).

Reproduction

Many varieties of iridodictiums can be propagated by seeds and daughter bulbs. There are also sterile varieties that do not set seeds; only vegetative propagation is acceptable for them.

On average, a bulb produces up to 4 children per season, so over time, entire clearings form at the planting site. Daughter bulbs should be separated from the mother bulbs a few days before planting, and not after digging, so that they do not dry out. It is advisable to sow the seeds immediately after collection. Shoots will appear only in the spring. Young plants will bloom in the 4th year.