Iris pumila
PYGMY IRIS
Iris pumila is a tiny treasure.
Tiny in stature but big on charm and beauty.
Not permitted for entry to WA
Tiny treasure big on charm
Iris pumila is a true dwarf. With flowers blooming on 10cm stems above an even lower clump of grey-green sword foliage (they are just very short, stumpy swords).
Dwarf does not mean delicate
But dwarf does not mean delicate.
The Pygmy Iris is just as tough as the other full scale Bearded Iris.
A rainbow of colours
Growing Iris pumila from seed is a great adventure. Because every new plant will be an exciting new colour combination. Iris pumila is an extremely variable species in colour.
They could be anything from deep blue, purple, lavender to yellow, cream or white, and any combination thereof.
Flowers are bearded, and also often have beautiful veining, spotting and petal markings.
Tiny but tough Ukrainian
Iris pumila is a tough little customer because it has to cope with a wide range of conditions and tough times in it’s native habitat. It grows in the wild from the Ukraine where it is prolific, across Romania and Bulgaria, and over into Turkey.
So it is well acquainted with extremes of summer heat, including humidity; and winter cold, including frost and even snow.
It is well adapted to periods of dry in the summer.
Early flowers
Iris pumila is a herald of summer abundance, as it blooms well before even the earliest of the Large or Median Bearded Iris.
Easy to grow & low care
Plant charming Iris pumila in Full Sun and well drained soil. Though it can also tolerate a little shade for part of the day.
It does not object to sandy, rocky or gravel soils, and performs best if conditions are not luxurious. Do not overfertilize, though it really appreciates dressings of dolomite lime annually.
Almost never attacked by pests and diseases.
And it is so short you really don’t need to cut it back.
10cm. High in cheery bloom x 30cm. Wide clump of short sword-like foliage.
SEED SOWING ADVICE:
Sow in punnets indoors / or sow directly in the garden autumn or winter.
INDOORS: First rub the seeds gently between your hands with some sharp sand (or you can use fine sandpaper) to score the seed case. Then soak seeds in warm (not boiling) water that has previously been boiled.
And leave stand in the cooling water for 24 hours.
Now drain the seeds and sow in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
And cover with grit/mix/sand/vermiculite to depth the same as the of seed’s diameter.
Place the punnet in a warm, well-lit position (not in direct sunlight).
Continue to keep the punnet moist at 16 to 21°C for 2-4 weeks.
Then wrap the moist, sown punnet in cling wrap or a plastic bag & place in the fridge (not freezer) for 4-6 weeks.
Now remove from fridge, unwrap punnet & place again in a warm, well-lit position.
Temperatures 12-21°C approx. are ideal for rapid and optimum germination.
Seedlings emerge within approx. 30 days.
But patience – do not discard punnet, as some seedlings may come later.
SEED COUNT: 8 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).
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