This bloomed for the first time for me in 20 years. In a group of historical iris I dug. Any idea what it is?
It has a thick feel, not like other iris. Kansas City

Pat ~ to the Iris Forum!

I don't have the answer, but someone here may be able to give you a clue...

@KentPfeiffer
@crowrita1
@Paul2032

I don't know what it might be, but, it *appears* to me that the bloom isn't "normal"! Is that the way you remember it looking, back all that time ago ? (If your memory is like mine, all it takes is 20 MINUTES to fade!!) Anyway, I *think* that blossom / stalk may have had some chemical damage.....by chance, was any herbicide used close to it ?

I did use some round-up maybe a foot away. Drift? not enough to kill but enough to affect bloom?

Ooh, drift, yes. I had no idea that I was getting drift the time I used RoundUp about 5 feet away from my lovely dwarf alberta spruce. A few days later I noticed that, that side of the spruce was tinged with brown. It did recover, but it took a year or two.

And I was about to say how pretty the bloom is!
How long ago did you use the roundup? Were the iris buds already forming?

Laurie, I was going to say the same thing. For possible RoundUp damage it really is a pretty bloom. I'd be interested to see what the other blooms look like.

I think it's pretty, too! I would have thought RoundUp would have browned it, like it did my Alberta spruce.

I had this all typed up, and hit the wrong, dang, button ! I'll try again !

Glysophate (Round up*) doesn't need to touch the plant..or even "drift" to it, to affect it. As it evaporates(gasses off), the fumes are enough to "do the damage". it actually affects the "buds" on the rhizome, where the stalks "sprout from", so use, even very early in the season, can affect blooms.The effects aren't permanent , so next year's bloom will be OK, and even later stalks THIS year will probably be alright. Herbicides with 2,4 D ALSO gas off...and, of course, the higher the temperature, the worse it is. I use both kinds of post emergent productes, and, as careful as I think I'm being, I always have a few blossoms / plants, that are damaged. Read the directions...follow them..be careful ! They will damage YOU, or your pets, too !
That said, "chemically affect" blossoms CAN really be pretty ! Most times, they have a "waxy" look, with thicker petals, and colors leaning more to "pastel" appearance .

LadyPat, do let us know how it blooms next year. I'm sure we'll all be intetested to know!

Here is what is next to it and actually the rhizomes are connected. This is what I am used to seeing.


crazy huh, I will discontinue the round up.!

Ladypat1 said:I will discontinue the RoundUp!

Pat ~ Good idea!

On the occasions when I have used glyphosate (RoundUp) near my iris, I always erected cardboard barriers next to the iris before spraying. Setting your spray nozzle to a coarser spray helps, but even then you can get very fine spray droplets emerging--and these can drift very easily. Glyphosate volatility is very low compared to 2,4-D, but the drift of fine spray droplets could easily hit nearby desirable plants if they are not protected.

Arlyn, I'm curious to know if you have tried cardboard barriers and still got damage?

If I must use a herbicide, I use gylphosate rather than 2,4-D because of 2,4-D's high volatility. However gylphosate kills everything--so can't be used in the lawn.

Barriers help, for sure...sometimes covering the whole plant (bucket, or trash can) works. I actually try to do my weed / grass spraying before any new growth starts on the irises, and, sometimes use a paint brush to apply the Roundup. But , as I said, no matter HOW careful I think I'm being...there will always be *some* damage

lauriemorningglory
I have used cardboard barriers. I didn't in this case. I have not recognized any damage when using cardboard, that I know of. bucket idea is good too!

When did you use the roundup? At what stage were the irises? Any information is helpful to help us learn!

There must be other products to use. I prefer weed to roundup & we don't let it in our garden.

I used round up early spring, Iris were up, but no bud stalks yet. I was trying to kill out old orange ditch daylilies that had taken over.

So maybe some leaves got hit with a little drift and carried the chemical down into the developing buds.

I have had iris look just like this when a hard frost came in at an In opportune time. They were all fine the next year. I don't use weed killer in my flowers beds

I just weed and use preen