I've grown iris successfully for a number of years, mostly bearded but also some Siberians, Spuria, Louisiana, and Aril-breds....but never Japanese. I had even heard comments from iris friends that they can't be grown here. The main problem is that our soil is alkaline as is our water. Japanese Iris prefer neutral or acid soil. And then on one of my frequent nursery visits I spotted Lion King in bloom and found it so beautiful
I couldn't resist and bought a plant. As I always do I looked at all the plants and found one not yet in bloom but with 4 bloom stalks coming
I thought that watching it bloom would be worth the price and if it survived that would be an extra bonus......it came through a very cold winter looking great
I've added some sulfur to the soil, some organic matter, and water with dilute mir-acid, and hope it blooms. I'm so enthused that I ordered 4 more this year. Can I grow Japanese Iris in Utah...I quess we will see.
