Bearded irises with fleshy appendages on the seeds called arils. They are a mix of species and hybrids. They DEMAND good drainage and full sun. They prefer totally dry/baking summers, but can tolerate some wetness. Jim Waddick grows all of his outdoors year round in a raised wall bed, on top of rocks and rubble to improve drainage in clay soil. He lives in Kansas City Missouri where summer storms are common. In very wet climates some growers cover the beds with glass or plastic panels to increase baking and some even dig the iris and store dry in a shady garage or shed. More details at the web site of the Aril Society Int. The more pure species (either subgenus Oncocyclus or Regelia) the more they are restricted in their needs, but many 50/50 hybrids and 3/4 aril hybrids do very well in Kansas City.
The best show the following aril characters: The aril 'Spot' - a large deep black or dark signal in the middle of the fall, the aril shape with elongate upright standards and curled pendant falls, exotic veins and streak in all parts of the flowers, unusual colors and combinations, extremely rich colors, and some with large hairy beards.
Aril irises are subdivided into a number of Sections:
Hexapogon aril irises are semi-desert plants with an unbranched stem, multiple flowers and bracts and bearded falls and standards.
Oncocyclus aril irises occur in areas of dry often hot summers and dry cool or cold winters. They are from western Asia. They have solitary flowers that are often veined and spotted. John Lonsdale has written an informative article describing some of the challenges and successes cultivating "onco" Irises in his Pennsylvania garden. Aril Irises in SE Pennsylvania.
Psammiris aril irises have beards only on the falls and are unbranched.
Pseudoregelia aril irises have unbranched stems and dark mottled flowers in shades of blue purple. They have beards on the standards and the falls. These usually dwarf irises grow on open rocky hillsides in Iran, Afghanistan and soviet central Asia where they have a long summer dormancy.
Regelia aril irises are from mountainous habitats and are unbranched with unmottled flowers and beards on falls and standards.
Belamcanda - Beardless Irises - Crested Irises - Garden Bearded Irises - Hermodactylus - Iris index - Juno Irises - Miscellaneous Irises - Pacific Coast Irises - Pardanthopsis - Reticulata Irises - Spanish Irises
Iris atropurpurea is in the Oncocyclus section and is from Israel. It has blackish-purple falls and a yellow beard. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Iris 'Dardanus', one of the regeliocyclus hybrids (a name used for hybrids made between iris in the Regelia and Oncocyclus sections), photographed by Jim McKenney in his Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, zone 7 garden. This plant is now readily available, so there is no reason not to treat yourself to these lovely bits of eye candy.
Iris gatesii is one of the Oncocyclus section Iris from Southeastern turkey and northwestern Iraq. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Iris hoogiana is in the Regelia section and is from Turkestan. It is blue with a yellow beard. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Iris hoogiana 'Alba'
Iris hoogiana 'Bronze Beauty'
Iris humilis is yellow, veined purple and in the Psamniris section. It is native to Eastern Europe and Russia. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris iberica ssp. elegantissima is one of the Oncocyclus section Iris. This subspecies originates from Iran, Armenia and Turkey and is cream or pale yellow with dark markings on the falls. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris kirkwoodii is an Iris in the Oncocyclus section from Northern Syria and Turkey. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Iris korolkowii is from Central Asia and the Regelia section. It is veined dark maroon on an ivory or lavender ground with a dark beard. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Iris mandschurica is in the Psamniris section. This species is from Eastern Russia, Manchuria, and Korea and has yellow flowers with maroon veined falls. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris paradoxa is a purple or violet flowered Iris in the Oncocyclus section from Armenia, Iran, and Turkey.
Iris paradoxa forma choschab Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris sari This Iris is a fabulous miniature Oncocyclus Iris from central Asia. This species has very small, firm foliage and immense (by comparison) flowers of indescribable color and intricate markings, on a 3"-4" (7.5 - 10 cm) stem. The scented flowers are tan and purplish, heavily patterned with dark purple. I have it growing in a raised sand bed... it's an AWESOME plant. Photos by Mark McDonough and John Lonsdale.
Iris sari dark form - The 2nd form of I. sari that I grow has much smaller, darker flowers. The flower is about half the size of the earlier form, more densely overlaid with dark purple netting, and the falls are lurid yellow overlaid with purple. In the photo, one can see the earlier flowering, semi-collapsed bloom of the much larger-flowered form of I. sari growing adjacent. The smaller dark form is on the right. Photo by Mark McDonough.
Iris stolonifera is in the Regelia section and from Central Asia. It is light to deep brown purple with a yellow or blue beard. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris tigridia from the Pseudoregelia section is native to Asia. Flowers are lavender to blue, mottled purple with a white beard. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Belamcanda - Beardless Irises - Crested Irises - Garden Bearded Irises - Hermodactylus - Iris index - Juno Irises - Miscellaneous Irises - Pacific Coast Irises - Pardanthopsis - Reticulata Irises - Spanish Irises