Iris pacifica hybrids at Sequim Rare Plants

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Iris pacifica hybrids

Iris pacifica hybrids

These irises are commonly known on the West Coast of North America as either pacific coast irises or as pacifica irises. As the ones in this picture are hybrids, it is more accurate to call them pacifica irises, because “pacific coast irises” refers to the group of species that are found in the wild, such I. innominata and I. chrysophylla. In Great Britain they are often called orchid irises because of their rich colors and fine detailing. Although these irises bloom in the spring, the best time of the year to transplant them is in autumn, as the weather cools, and the fall rains begin.

Starting at the lower left and moving clockwise, the names of these are ‘Bar Code,’ ‘Ocean Blue,’ ‘Epicure,’ and ‘Mandalay Bay,’ with an un-named seedling iris in the center. The hybridizer of these is Joseph Ghio who offers them through his nursery, Bay View Gardens, 1201 Bay Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. The best way to find out what he offers and to purchase them is to mail him two dollars for a hard copy of his catalog. The new issue comes out in March, and you need to place your order before the end of summer. The pacifica irises are sent out in October and November.

For anyone who might already be growing these irises and wants to try growing new plants from their seeds, here is a link to a page that tells how to do it,
http://www.kcis.org/kcisdwnld/KCIS_Growing_Pacific_Coast_Iris_from_Seed.pdf.