Iris plant: characteristic and description. Popular varieties

The plant iris belongs to the family of tangent.There are about 250 different varieties, which grow in Europe and Asia, in North America, and in some regions of Africa. About 60 different species are found in Russia. Plants grow mainly in open spaces, on the banks of water bodies, in steppe and desert zones. Iris is a distant relative of the gladiolus.

Iris plant: description

This is a perennial and unique herbaceousa plant with a strong rhizome. He distinguishes two types of shoots - vegetative and generative. Thin leaves with a wax coating are united by fan-shaped bundles at the base of peduncles.

In some varieties, stem leaves are absentor a very small amount. Single flowers are located in the inflorescences, they differ in a unique aroma and elegant form. There is a huge palette of hues from white to dark purple. Large and beautiful flowers are composed of six parts, shaped like a petal. Three external shares tend to be slightly inclined downwards.

Iris plant: characteristics and description of varieties

Iris boasts a variety of colors and a long flowering time. Popular varieties:

• Bearded is the most popular amonggarden irises. On the outer petals at the base there are strips of hairs, which are very noticeable against the general background. Distinguish small, medium-sized and large-sized plants. The height reaches 70 cm.
• Iris Siberian plant is distributed from the northItaly to Lake Baikal. This species also occurs in the Caucasus, Turkey and the Republic of Komi. On the branched stalk there are several huge leaves. Magnificent flowers are located on pedicels. In the box hidden light gray seeds.
• Dwarfish is common in arid grasssteppes. In addition, it can be found on limestone slopes and sands. The iris reaches a height of not more than 15 cm. Leaflets are of a bluish color. Tsvetonos in height about 3 cm, the plant starts to blossom in May. Excellent tolerance of moisture.
• Dutch has a special undergroundAn organ instead of a rhizome, in which there are stocks of nutrients. On the stalk there are dense, narrowly ligated leaves. Tsvetonos grows on average by 80 cm. The flower can be monophonic or two-toned. This variety is very thermophilic and in winter needs protection from wind and cold.
• The iris marsh plant has attractivebright yellow color flowers, decorated with tidy strips. Blooms from early May to June. This variety is heat-loving and winter-hardy, loves direct sunlight. In the wild, it grows mainly near the floodplain of rivers and shores of water bodies. It can be seen in Europe, China and the Far East.
• Xanthiform is considered a late-flowering variety.The leaves are not wide and do not exceed 40 cm in height. The flowers are flat with small inner and wide outer petals. The height of the peduncle is about 70 cm. The blossom begins in the middle of summer and blossoms until the end of August.

Brief characteristics of the iris plant:

Bearded irises got their name because of their painted hairs, located on the outer parts of the perianth. By their kind, hairs reminiscent of a beard.

Siberian varieties distinguish unpretentiousness and resistance to frost. In addition, the cut leaves have decorative significance.

Japanese irises can be divided only after five to seven years, as they have a longer time retaining decorativeness and yield. In the beginning of spring or in the autumn, this species is divided.

There are three groups of irises:

• undersized - the height of the peduncle is 20-35 cm;
• sredneroslye - tsvetonos from 35 to 70 cm;
• tall - a flower spike more than 70 cm.

Features

Depending on the species in the iris plant (planting andwhose departure is described below), there are also different root systems. They are refined, friable, fleshy and unbranched. Leaves, as a rule, are oblong, with a wax coating, green color. The state of the flower can be determined by plaque. An even layer means that the iris is not sick. The leaves retain their decorative appearance until the beginning of autumn. Flowers large, various colors (blue, white, blue, pink, etc.). Several shades of colors can be on one aureole, but a single color is not uncommon.

Bloom

The iris plant blossoms (photo below) from the beginning of May to the middle of summer.

Average life expectancy of the inflorescenceis three days. In summer, a flower bud forms on the rhizome. The fruit of the iris consists of a box with three nests. If the summer period was not hot, then the kidneys are not formed and the next year iris will not bloom.

Cultivation

Japanese irises like warm weather, so ifthey grow in the northern regions, they grow well and bloom mainly in the premises. Siberian varieties are resistant to frost, and bearded irises are less whimsical than the two species mentioned above.

For the cultivation of plants requiredDrained, fertile and moist soil. Excessive moisture is diverted. When planting a plant in heavy soil it is recommended to add garden soil, sand or special fertilizers. Fertilizer is introduced at the rate of half a 10-liter bucket per 1 m². In case if neutralization of soil is required, then bone meal is used, Siberian irises do not like lime.

Introduction of nutrients

During growth and development, the plant needstop dressing with inorganic complex fertilizers, which include potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Fertilizer application is carried out three times. The first is as soon as the plant has spilled out of the soil. The second time - about thirty days after the first application of fertilizing. And the last time - when the plant has faded.

You can apply another method.In the first stage, only nitrogen and phosphorus substances are introduced. In the second - potassium is added to the previous elements, and in the third place - only potassium and phosphoric fertilizers. During the vegetation period, nine grams of the above fertilizers per square meter should be added. Top dressing is added exclusively in the liquid state.

Reproduction

Work on the separation of roots is carried out at the endsummer period or in the beginning of autumn in about four years after the growth of the plant in one place. If this operation is not carried out, the iris will not bloom, since four years after planting the flower buds cease to form. For this reason, to obtain abundant flowering, it is necessary to divide the roots or eliminate their upper part.

One of the simple methods of dividing the rhizome -the formation of annual links with a bundle of leaves. Each link is divided into separate pieces with kidneys. After cutting, they are left in a dry, warm room for 48 hours, during which time the cuts form a protective wound tissue. In addition, the sections can be sprinkled with crushed coal.

Seedlings are placed in containers and stored indoors,since in winter the rooting takes place. Rhizomes, excavated in autumn, should be stored in a cool dry place. When planting roots in spring, they are preliminarily cut to 8-10 cm, in autumn or summer - by two thirds.

Transplantation in 4-5 years is enoughlong term, so the plant can be propagated by seeds. Each variety has its own characteristics. Siberian and Japanese irises can be grown without any problems from seeds, but the bearded ones are a little more complicated, since their seeds have a thick cover, and shoots appear in the second or third year. Scientists believe that seed propagation is best used in breeding, since this method does not guarantee a good growth of the plant.

Care

For the Siberian and Japanese varieties, soils are suitable,which are well capable of retaining moisture, and bearded with a primer with a weakly acidic or neutral medium. In the non-chernozem soil it is necessary to introduce fertilizers.

Each type of plant needs a different amount of water. For example, Siberian iris during the flowering period requires constant watering, and the bearded iris prefers moderate watering.

It is best to place the irises on a sunny orsemi-shadowed areas. If you plant the plant in a solid shadow, then it will stop flowering. Japanese and bearded species can tolerate a strong blackout.

Useful properties of the plant

Currently, only a few varietiesiris plants are acceptable for use in medical practice. For example, Florentine and German. The main raw materials are the roots of the plant due to the content of the unique essential oil. Three years after planting, the iris begins to prepare them. Roots are washed with water, cleaned from the side processes, then dried. Store in closed containers.

In the roots of irises are a huge amount of ascorbic acid, starch, sugar and many other equally useful components.

Application in medicine

When adding the crushed root of iris to an aromatic lamp, it has a calming effect.

Decoction from the roots of the iris plant is used:

• as an adjunct for the elimination of colic;
• bronchitis and angina;
• as a symptomatic for the treatment of headaches;
• for resorption of dense tumors;
• in cosmetology, helps to reduce freckles and acne, reduce the depth of wrinkles;
• stimulates the growth of hair bulbs and is used for hair loss, dandruff, and in addition, gives them a brilliant appearance.

From iris, you can prepare a tincture thatapply for toothaches. Rhizomes are used to prepare breastmilk tea. On the basis of iris, homeopathic preparations are used, which are used in the treatment of pancreatic diseases.

In order to prepare a tincture of iris,You need to stir 15 grams of raw material in a glass of boiling water. You can take it up to six times a day for one tablespoon. Dry roots of the plant are an excellent expectorant, a blood cleanser and a diuretic.

Contraindications to the use of iris plants - individual intolerance.

Basically, the florists grow Siberian, Japanese and bearded irises. Irrigation marsh with yellow flowers is also common in orchards.