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Accessory Aquatic PlantsHow to Plant OxygenatorsSubmerged aquatic plantsFloating Aquatics PlantsFloating Aquatics Plants2Floating Aquatics Plants3Bog PlantsBog Plants2Bog Plants3>Bog Plants4Bog Plants5Bog Plants6Bog Plants7
IRIS - (Iridaceae). (Plate 38.)  A genus of one of the largest and most important flower families under cultivation. The genus divides into the bearded or "dry iris," which thrives in well-drained soil, and the beardless or "wet iris," which grows in heavy, moist soil. Most of the water-loving species and varieties placed for decoration at the edge of the pool do best with the root crowns under an inch or two of water. Flowers begin to open in the latter part of May and early June-while hardy water-lilies in the pool are just stretching themselves after their long winter sleep-and thus iris fills in that bloomless gap which begins with pretty weather and continues until the hardies open in June. WATER IRIS -(Iris versicolor). Also called Marsh Iris, Blue Flag. Violet-blue flowers with streaks of yellow, green, and white are borne on stems about 2 feet tall. Foliage, which is thick and free growing, is only slightly shorter. Does well in either plashy mud at water level or under an inch or two of water, and will reproduce rapidly in either location. There are many similar variegated forms, but this is the classic form, and year after year a top favorite.
YELLOW FLAG -(Iris Pseucdacorus). The royal flower of France and the national emblem. The fleur-de-lis is a stylized reproduction of it. This iris might be called a bright yellow counterpart of the Blue Flag, except that it usually grows half again as large and its sword-shaped leaves are somewhat broader.
LIZARD's TAIL -(Saururus cernuus). Also called American Swamp Lily. A 2½- to 5- and 6-foot shallow-water or bog plant with brightgreen, heart-shaped leaves as big as a man's mitten. The fragrant flowers, which begin to appear in midsummer, are slender, nodding spikes of feathery white. The plant takes its name from the shape of the taillike bloom. Grows wild in swamps almost everywhere in the United States.
MARSH-MARIGOLD -(Caltha palustris). Sometimes called Cowslip or Buttercup. A low-growing pond-edge plant with rounded, deeply notched leaves and waxy yellow blooms which look like giant buttercups. Propagates by runners, and tends to spread sparsely over a sizable area instead of crowding, but runners can easily be guided to fill a particular space. Plants ordered in spring usually arrive too late to bloom before the next year, since this is about the earliest of the bog plants to blossom, often in March. Does best with the root crown barely under water.
PICKEREL RUSH -(Pontederia cordata). Also called Pickerel-Weed, Pond-Weed. One of the finest of the pond-edge plants, growing to 18 to 24 inches, with large, arrow-shaped, olive-green leaves carried well above the water. Spikes of closely packed, violet-blue flowers arc attractive and produced freely. Grows best in 3 to 4 inches of water and propagates freely, principally by division of roots; requires little or no control. Even when crowded, the smooth, shining foliage looks neat and precise. This is a North American aquatic, much prized by European water gardeners, who import a great deal of it. Continue to Bog Plants5 |
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