Dutch iris requirements
Jane McGary (Thu, 11 Sep 2003 20:02:00 PDT)

Jim Waddick wrote,
"You are destroying my illusions of fields of Dutch Iris growing in the
Pacific NW. I understood that this was at one time a major growing area for
Dutch Iris (among others)."

I expect they were grown along the southern Oregon coast, where Lilium
longiflorum (Easter lily) is also a major crop. It is much warmer there in
winter. Cutflower producers also grow a lot of them in poly hoop houses.

Presumably they lift them, as they do most everything, store them in
climate-controlled warehouses, and plant them late in fall or in winter so
that they don't make top growth and freeze out.

That said, Dutch irises do get through the warmer winters here, such as the
past two or three.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA