Iris lactea Seeds | Chinese Iris
LATIN NAME: Iris lactea
COMMON NAME: Chinese Iris
Plant Profile
Chinese Iris (Iris lactea) is a distinctive species in the iris family. In time it steadily becomes a rounded crown, reaching 5-10 metres. It is content in full sun and ordinary, well-drained ground. Given room and time, it reaches roughly 5-10 metres. While it flowers, it feeds a quiet procession of bees and hoverflies. Add these qualities together and you have a species well worth a place in the garden.
Science & Biotechnology
Seed science, comparative botany and horticultural selection all touch on Iris lactea, a representative of the iris family with clear practical value. Species has also been studied in ecology, since it is a plant of the central Asian grasslands, and its growth and its role in grassland community have been examined. Continuing work by breeders and collectors keeps good seed of this species moving through the trade.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Chinese Iris for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Ecologically, milky iris is a generous plant of the central Asian grasslands. Its pale blooms feed bees and insects, and its neat leaves give cover, while it is a graceful presence in meadows and grasslands of central Asia. For a grower, milky iris is an easy and graceful plant, and for a gardener it brings pale, milky-blue blooms and neat, sword-like leaves. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.
Iris rhizomes, the orris of perfumery, yield one of the most luxurious fragrance materials after years of curing; the genus has toxic fresh rhizomes, so its medicinal history is strictly professional and its garden value immense.
Growing from Seed
Raising Chinese Iris from seed is straightforward. Use a loose, well-drained seed compost, sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly, and keep everything evenly moist in full sun. A spell of cool, moist conditions ahead of sowing brings the seed along nicely and supports even germination. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Chinese Iris repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
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