Question 1) I was in Lowes a couple of weeks ago and they had TB in pots for $5.95. One of the irises was Sunrise Elegy which is a newer introduction and still twenty some bucks on Schreiner's site. There were 4 other named TB's but they were older varieties. Is it common for the growers to farm out some of there stock to big box stores? if so I may need to start stalking Lowes & Home Depot for five buck bargins!

Now a story (bear with me): I received Seakist from Schreiners last fall. It was a massive rhizome, and I was excited to get it. I had planned other blue, purple & white iris around it. This spring the plant has become massive and that rhizome has put up 5 bloom stalks. I was so happy with all the buds (15+). But then as the buds got fuller the color just didn't seem right. Well the first bloom opened today, and..........
yep, it is NOT Seakist. Tagged as Seakist but really not Seakist.

It was Las Vegas! Does this happen very often to orders??

Stay away from the "Marts" !!!!

It does not matter if we are talking Lowes, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, or Kmart or any other "big box" store; they are all the same when it comes to Iris. Not right.

They buy "left overs" and throw it together. The name does not matter to them. And if you don't care then have at it (the potted type are much better than the shrived up crap you find in the Fall. There are plenty of iris vendors out there that will send you the right iris (at their expense) to fix a mix up.

Send an email to schreiners with the issue.

Greg is sooooo right. Most reputable iris vendors will fix a problem quickly. They want you to be happy with their product and services. As far as big box stores, its a crap shoot and one you seldom win. Here is a photo of an iris that I bought at Wal-Mart and was supposed to be Spartan



Now it so happens that I like this iris but it is a NoID. And I was really anticipating a red iris growing in its spot. Lesson learned.

I had one mistake from Schreiners, and I e-mailed them. They made it right without a question, as will any good vendor.

Thanks for all the responses. I have never bought an iris at Lowes. Just shocked that they had a "Sunrise Elegy." Of course my Sunrise was a Schreiners bonus, but isn't doing well. I thought the box stores may be where second thoughts go to die.... (no offense!).

I called them about Seakist and they are going to send me one. At the rate Las Vegas is growing I will have to move it this fall anyway so the original plan just is delayed a year.

For the record, I have always found Schreiners to have excellent customer service.

Schreiner's supplies all of the major box stores all over the US so just about every plant you find at one of those stores more than likely came from them, there business is 80% commercial this is the reason for growing 200 acres of Iris and moving them every year I am sure Lowe's bought thousands of bulbs of Sunrise Elergy at a great discount for the volume that they do and that's why you see it priced that way. If it is blooming and is the correct one you found a great deal, but most of the time once it makes it's way into the box stores they mix up the label's not just Iris but a lot of plants.

@Aruba1334 I had never thought of them as a big business supplier, but it sure makes sense. And supplies them with a way to profit on the unsold inventory. The potted iris I saw this spring were already in bud, so you could see if the color was right. I can't imagine what you would end up with in the fall with just rhizomes.

I would still like to know from others on this site if they have experienced wrong rhizome mix ups. I am guessing it is a rare occurance?

Usually no mix up from iris vendors, they are quite careful. Sometimes a few are wrong but usually fixed. the other garden centers & box stores buy them wholesale & anything can happen. I know that Schreiners makes more money on non iris society people & wholesale sales.

I don't think a mixup of rhizomes is rare at all. You can practically count on it from the big box stores, and it happens readily enough from Iris growers/vendors. How could it not? If there's no blossom -- they all look alike!! Without PBF, there's hardly any identifiable difference. Mistakes happen. The biggest difference is that the growers/vendors will be embarrassed about it and happily correct the error -- the bb stores don't care. Their attitude is *you bought an Iris, you got an Iris*.

Yes, Schreiners and other vendors sell to the big box stores. I've been asked a few times, but I just don't have the inventory, nor do I want them all mixed up.They don't pay much either. For sibs, maybe a dollar or two a plant.

But---if you can get a blooming iris that matches the tag, you might get a real bargain. Don't buy just the rhizomes, though.

It's been my experience, though, that what they sell to the big box stores -- and to nursery wholesalers -- are older varieties, and not recent introductions.

True or no?

I've commented on this before but will repeat........one spring I went to the Garden Shop at Wal-Mart and they had a number to gorgeous single peonies in bloom in a variety of colors, pink, yellow, cream, etc. I was tempted but when I looked at the tags they all said 'Sarah Bernhardt' which is a classic double pink. Not a 'Sarah Bernhardt' in the lot.

Mary Ann, you might find some newer ones, and if you do they're a good buy, as they are usually good increasers. Or they I'd be happy to get some of Schreiners rejects. They can be a good buy, but you need to be careful, and definitely see them in bloom.

Of course. it's always best to buy from the grower. From growers like Dee, you'll get the iris you ordered. you ordered. But you'd be surprised how many irises are sold in the garden centers with no names. That's fine for those who just want a color match, but then they trade it under a name, and that's how we get the irises mixed up.








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If possible buy from a grower. You may not get the color you wish, in box stores, either.

All my irises are from a grower. I was just really suprised to see a new introduction at the box store. A friend of mine bought one and it is blooming as Sunrise Elegy. Which is good because she really loved mine.

And while it was a mistake.... Las Vegas is taking off like gangbusters. 3 blooms and 13 more buds. I am impressed.

I was one of the luckier buyers at Home Depot. I purchased a rhizome labeled Pink Attraction. What I got, discovered 2 years later, were IDed as Ambroise and Montmartre. I don't have a pic available for Ambroise but Montmartre opened this morning. I love them both more than what I thought I purchased.

You sure were lucky! I'm jealous!! I've waited several years to get Montmartre, waiting for the price to get down to affordable -- just ordered it this year.

My Montmartre is more redish then purple

Yah. I questioned Celia's identification when I saw her picture. But then looked in the database here at ATP -- and some of them are purply. Think it's the cameras. I'm hoping that mine is reddish, as you described.

Hmmm. I'm thinking "Elizabethan Age" (especially given the fact that there are good reds in the shot). But what do I know?