Violet root - such a refined nameSome species of iris have been awarded, or, as it is also called, iris - German, Florentine or pale, whose rhizomes emit a surprisingly delicate violet smell.
These plants - natives of the Mediterranean, their types, characteristics and preferences will be discussed in this publication.
Iris: a plant with history
Cultivated from time immemorial irismany nations is a symbol of trust, loyalty friendship and deep cordial disposition. It is also mentioned in ancient epics and medical treatises, since the iris has long been known not only as a decorative flower, but also as the most valuable essential oil culture, as evidenced by its elegant name "violet root".
There are about a hundred of such species. Almost all of them are herbaceous rhizomatous perennials, common in almost all parts of the world, except for the permafrost pole.
Description
Iris pale (orris root) - decorativeand at the same time a medicinal plant with a characteristic yellowish-brown, creeping, fleshy rhizome with a dense starchy structure. The unpretentiousness of a plant makes it possible to grow it in any region of our country, but in its wild form it almost does not occur. Violet root is cultivated in the gardens, pursuing two goals - the decoration of the estate space and use for medicinal purposes. The rhizome contains unique chemical compounds with healing properties. The iris root, growing, gradually dies off from below, forming young branches, which annually form leaves and flower stalks.
Flowers and leaves of iris pale
The leaves of the iris are basal, they are very decorative:two-rowed, sword-shaped with a slight wax coating, thin and flat, collected in a beautiful bun-fan. Peduncle - strong upright one-year stem, reaching 0.3-0.6 m.
Flowers, depending on the type and variety of the crop,from medium to fairly large sizes. The palette of shades of flowers is surprisingly diverse. Apparently, therefore, the name of the plant is translated from Greek as “rainbow”. The flowers of iris are regular, possessing an excellent delicate aroma, are located on strong peduncles and are collected in a multi-flowered inflorescence. The color of the colors of these species is varied: from pale blue and lilac shades to dense purple with fringed edges of the petals. The fruit is a multi-seed oblong box.
Features of culture
Iris - a winter-hardy plant, resistant toshort-term droughts and not demanding on the composition of the soil. However, luxurious flowering from it can be achieved if you create the most comfortable conditions. For example, it should be noted that the iris is very light-requiring. Therefore, the areas for culture are chosen well-lit, and the soil is carefully dug up before planting, adding humus and mineral dressings.
Iris rhizomes are an excellent planting material necessary for vegetative propagation. Use for this pieces of rhizomes or their processes with the resulting growth buds, children.
Planting and growing iris
The optimal time for planting iris considerperiod from late August to mid-September. To do this, select strong pieces of rhizomes with existing fibrous roots and 2-4 leaves, which are shortened to 20-30 cm. Planted them, deepening by 8-10 cm so that the growth buds are at ground level. Care of culture consists of a weed, loosening and fertilizing. Nitrogen compounds are introduced in the spring, and phosphate-potassium compounds are prepared during flowering. It is important not to forget that you can not feed the plants during flowering.
Pale iris wakes up in early spring asonly the soil will warm up to 8-10 ° C. Flowering occurs in May – June. Irises are periodically transplanted, because, growing, rhizomes can be squeezed to the surface, which significantly damages the plant, reducing the area of food and reducing decorative effect. Transplant irises produce depending on the characteristics of the species. For example, garden and leafless varieties - every 3-5 years, Siberian - 6-8 years, yellow - 8-10 years.
Germanic irises: varieties with photos and titles
In addition to the pale iris, edible violet species include German and Florentine irises.
German Iris - a culture with dense broador narrow sword-shaped leaves that persist until autumn. The flowers of these species are large lilac-purple with a colorful bright yellow longitudinal beard, located on the length of up to 1 m tall branched peduncles. Flowering Germanic violet root in June.
Actually, most species of bearded irises,grown today in gardens, are derived from the German killer. Pure culture can be seen in the botanical gardens, breeding nurseries and experimental sites. In nature, it is extremely rare, but on the mountain slopes of Transcarpathia and at the foot of the Himalayas you can still see this plant. In the gardens, the leading varieties derived from it:
- Summer Night - tall variety with fragrant bright blue flowers and bright yellow heart.
- Guards - especially aromatic variety with creamy yellow large inflorescences.
- The Baltic Sea is a German killer type, with spectacular corrugated blue petals and a beard of a saturated ultramarine color.
Germanic iris is excellent in cutting. Seeds ripen by the end of summer.
Florentine iris
Florentine iris - bearded hybrid, receivedthe speaking name is due to the brightly colored decorative hairs located on the bases of the outer petals. These plants are characterized by very high branched peduncles (up to 0.7 m), giving up to 5-7 flowers - white with sky-blue transitions or yellow, extremely refined and decorative. It has a Florentine iris and a pleasant aroma. Leaves culture bluish, large, xiphoid. The plant has been cultivated in Mediterranean countries since the 15th century. In temperate Russian latitudes, the Florentine killer requires shelters for the winter, since they are distinguished by low frost resistance.
A feature of the culture is exclusively vegetative reproduction, since it does not give seeds. Flowering begins from the end of May and may continue throughout June.
A bright representative of this species is Diamond Elbrus - a tall variety with a bright aroma of large white flowers with an orange core.
Listed irises (varieties with photos and titles)although they belong to medicinal species, they are still more often used for decorative purposes. Despite the short flowering, these plants are characterized by excellent decorative leaves and do not lose it until the cold.
