Iris cristata

Rodger's iris is blooming. It's a lovely native iris, Iris cristata (Crested Iris). It's small, and doesn't flower for long, but it forms delightful clumps in the understory of woods (and woodland borders).

Rodger gave me several clumps from his garden years ago, which I planted under the big red oak near the garage. We've moved some to the front of the stone pathway, too, now that the soil is developed enough.

It's a wonderful memory plant for us; Rodger was an extraordinary volunteer at the Garden (where I work), giving so much time to so many projects, from construction to plants.

He's no longer with us, but left a rich legacy, both in his work as a volunteer, a wonderful family, many things I don't know about, but also for all the plants he gave away.

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Spring wildflowers

Here are a few images from the native plant collections at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville.

An tough and adaptable wildflower, Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginicum) thrives in conditions from dry dappled sunlight to damper edges; some plants (from northern populations) are much more upright than the prostrate rosettes common in southern populations. These plants, growing in relatively high rich soil, look robust.


Firepink (Silene virginica) must be challenging to move - I seldom see it for sale as a tranplant. Otherwise, it would be more common as a garden plant!


And Iris cristata always is lovely.

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Spring native wildflowers

A sweet Iris cristata surprised me yesterday in a spot we'd forgotten we'd transplanted it, near the backyard gate.

And the Florida azalea (Rhodendron austrinum) and Pinxterbloom azalea (R. periclymenoides) are looking lovely at the Garden.

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Early spring flowers

Not only are all the deciduous forest trees (oaks, beeches, etc.) producing catkins and other sorts of flowers, and expanding fresh young leaves, but our native early spring flowers are making an appearance.

The Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina Jessamine) vine outside my study window is flowering, cascading down through the windowpanes.

The Iris cristata, shared with me by a wonderful former volunteer and SC Master Gardener, is starting to flower.




And Hexastylis arifolia (Little Brown Jugs) is producing its long-lasting jug-shaped flowers (pollinated by fungus gnats). That's if the plant is lucky!

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