Please make sure JavaScript is enabled.
 
Profile Image Rich Spicer

richard.spicer.7906

St Albans based, career changer and studying Horticulture. Bulb addict, South African plant fan and converted succulent lover

Iris foetidissima var. citrina

  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2019
  • Like Count 104
comment
richard.spicer.7906

11/06/19 - time for these to bloom, you have to look carefully as they don’t sit above the foliage very well and you can miss them otherwise. It doesn’t seem that long ago that it was covered in all the orange-red berries from last years flowers. I do prefer the yellow form over the main type species which is slightly more purple in it. And not really smelly at all 😉 #iris #iris-foetidissima #stinkingiris #irisfoetidissimayellowform

5w
comment
janetandjim

That is really cool that you can grow that and it looks so fabulous. No luck with foetidissima here

5w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Thank you Janet 😊 @janetandjim - that’s a shame you’ve had no luck with it. It loves my dry shade. It was originally growing under an old cherry tree but I moved it and now it sits under a laburnum tree

5w
comment
alysha

She’s beautiful 🤩 @richard.spicer.7906

5w
comment
janetandjim

Do you have alkaline soil? @richard.spicer.7906

5w
comment
valjones-hughes

A beauty Richard, glad to hear she doesn’t live up to her name - do the berries?

5w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Thanks Alysha 😊 - I always forget it flowers now and only saw it by chance when I walked past it! @alysha

5w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Hi Janet, not sure exactly as never formally tested it but I’ve always assumed it was slightly acidic. There is a large rhododendron growing happily nearby. Does this iris have a particular preference then? @janetandjim

5w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Thanks Val 😊 I hadn’t noticed it either on the berries, only when the foliage gets torn or cut I can smell it slightly then but I do have to hold it up to my nose @valjones-hughes

5w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Thanks Katy 😊 @gjones

5w
comment
janetandjim

@richard.spicer.7906 yes, it has a definite preference-to stay in your yard right where it is. 😀. Everything in your garden is lovely.

5w
comment
alysha

They are so pretty 🤩

5w
  • Season Icon Early WinterEarly Winter 2019
  • Like Count 60
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Considering this was a birdie freebie I love this plant now. The berries that appear as the seed pods burst open look awesome this time of year. It’s not your typical iris - it won’t have showy big flowers, they are generally quite a lot smaller and can go unnoticed. The usual colour has a purple ness to it, but I have the naturally occurring yellow form here I think. I’ll be splitting this in spring as it’s got to a nice respectable clump since three years ago when I originally moved it 👍🏼

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

#iris #iris-foetidissima #irisfoetidissimayellowform #berries #stinkingiris

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

It will also give me a chance to remove the bramble which is growing through the clump too, I’m always catching it as I walk past it 😣

6w
comment
anges

Poor Iris, not very complimentary! 😂😂

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

😂😂 @anges - some people reckon it smells of roast beef but I can’t say it does. It does have a bit of a pong when you tear or break the foliage 👃🏼

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Although this probably came from seed that birds had digested, I’ve never tried sowing these myself. If anyone local in U.K. or Ireland is interested in some of this seed let me know and I’ll try saving you some. Not sure I’d get it further afield unfortunately through customs as they are quite large seeds (like peas or sweet corn size) 🤔

6w
comment
anges

Very nice colour for seeds ☺

6w
comment
vec

We've got loads of this at one of my jobs. Be careful of it taking over Rich 😉

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Oh really? I hadn’t noticed it growing too fast before but then it may not be in the best of optimum conditions in my garden. Ok, will bare that in mind for future, and useful tip for others too - thanks Julie 👍🏼 😁 @vec

6w
comment
wagsmomthompsonbtinternetcom

Stinking lovely...

6w
comment
vec

The seeds pop open and spread over time plus the birds love the berries and what goes in, come back out Rich 😉

6w
comment
lovestogarden

😂 The name is great!

6w
  • Season Icon Late SpringLate Spring 2018
  • Like Count 64
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Morning, Iris foetidissima coming into flower in the garden. I think this is the wild yellow variant (var. citrina) #iris-foetidissima #stinkingiris #irisfoetidissimayellowform

6w
comment
juliesgarden

Morning Rich, lovely, nice to see you , so to speak ☺️

6w
comment
joanboston

How lovely Richard, most unusual

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Morning Julie 😊👋🏼 - non working day today so have a little bit of time to spare @juliesgarden

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Thanks Joan, it’s a nice bonus as I found it at the back of the garden about 18 months ago under loads of bramble, had never seen it before so moved it and it loves where it is now, this is its second year I’ve seen it flower and I’ve been in this house 10 years 😳 @joanboston

6w
comment
kathy

Morning Richard, amazing what pops up🤙🏻

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Indeed Kathy - lucky find I think as it may have withered away permanently if it had been there any longer @kathy

6w
comment
godfreye

Good morning Richard really lovely delicate colour.well rescued 🤗

6w
comment
pelly

Morning Richard, I'm not a huge fan of Irises but this one is beautiful 💛💛

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Morning Enid 👋🏼 - it’s got good berries in the winter time too, and don’t be put off by the name, I’ve never noticed the smell until you break a leave, and it’s not at all that bad @godfreye

6w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Aw, thanks Jane! Sub-consciously I seem to have acquired many types now, my reticulata obsession has expanded to bearded, Dutch, Siberica and now this 😄 @pelly

6w
comment
pelly

At this rate you will have a National Collection soon Rich 😂😂

6w
  • Season Icon Early SpringEarly Spring 2018
  • Like Count 60
comment
lovemygarden65

That would make a fab canvas ❤️❤️❤️

7w
comment
pelly

What a fabulous shot Rich 👌👌

7w
comment
sho47

Fantastic photo Rich @richard.spicer.7906 love the detail and colours👏😃

7w
comment
rachelbrooks

Love this pic!

7w
comment
plants

Great up close shot Richard. 📷👏❤️

7w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

I think the recent snow has scorched these Iris seeds, but I love the effect - Iris foetidissima produces seed pods filled with red/orange seeds in autumn, great to leave them over the winter for colour interest. These are from the yellow wild form #iris #iris-foetidissima #irisfoetidissimayellowform #stinkingiris #berries

6w
  • Season Icon Mid WinterMid Winter 2018
  • Like Count 79
comment
richard.spicer.7906

From Sunday, a welcome sight in the garden amongst the snowy weather - #berries from my Iris foetidissama, otherwise known as the Stinking Iris - seems the yellow form has the same berry colour almost as the normal form, maybe a slightly more orangey perhaps but it’s very close #Iris #irisfoetidissima #stinkingiris #irisfoetidissimayellowform #iris-foetidissima

7w
comment
awomanonabike

Fabulous photo Rich 😍 #tuesdaytreats

7w
comment
pelly

I bet that looks fabulous Rich 😍😍

7w
comment
daisy-jane

Morning Rich great pic 😊👍

7w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Thanks Jacqueline 😊 , I forgot about that hashtag! 🙄 @awomanonabike

7w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

It’s lovely Jane - there’s a bigger clump than this too but it was all tangled up with the weeds 🤭 @pelly

7w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Afternoon Jane, thanks muchly 😊 @daisy-jane

7w
comment
pelly

What a shame 👎👎

7w
comment
brightcolours

Super! #wintercolour

7w
comment
wagsmomthompsonbtinternetcom

Stinking lovely....

7w
comment
columbiariver

Oh this is lovely Rich. I suppose by not chopping the Iris reeds down you get this gorgeous result?! I should be less choppy...

7w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

I think this particular species is famous for its coloured berries, not sure about other iris species but you can always try and see what happens in? Probably don’t need to do it on bearded or Dutch Iris as not sure they are anything as pretty as these seed pods @columbiariver

7w
  • Season Icon Early SummerEarly Summer 2017
  • Like Count 47
comment
richard.spicer.7906

I think my Stinking Iris turned out to be the yellow variant form - which is a nice surprise 👌🏼😀 #iris #iris-foetidissima #irisfoetidissimayellowform #stinkingiris

7w
comment
dilgarden

Lovely shade

7w
comment
ripjuju

Does it stink?

7w
comment
brightcolours

#stinkingiris #iris #irisfoetidissima

7w
comment
lovestogarden

I am with Judy...does it stink? If so, like what? @ripjuju 👃

7w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

I've only noticed the smell when you break the foliage.... it's not that bad really and I never notice it - but it is only a small clump at the moment @ripjuju @lovestogarden

7w
comment
lovestogarden

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

7w
comment
MelanieAt

Had never seen this iris before :)

7w
  • Season Icon Early AutumnEarly Autumn 2015
  • Like Count 14
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Does anyone know what this is? It doesn't have rhizomes, tubers or come from a bulb, and the roots come straight out of the base. The leaves are strap like, but they are all in line (like a bearded Iris). I thought it could be an Iris, but the lack of rhizome has confused me! 😳 never had flowers (yet) #iris #iris-foetidissima #irisfoetidissimayellowform #stinkingiris

9w
comment
tiggrx

Do the leaves have an unpleasant smell when broken. If so probably Iris foetidissima.

9w
comment
juliesgarden

Looks like my pond irises 😕Richard @richard.spicer.7906

9w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

@tiggrx @juliesgarden there is a bit of a whiff about it when I snap one of the leaves in half. Found a much bigger one under the brambles at the back - so I've dug that one up too and put them together in a shady spot.

9w
comment
kathy

Twos company 😄 have you not been in your house long to keep finding these plants?

9w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

8 years @kathy 😂😂 but there are quite a few parts in the bottom half which I can't reach because of the combination of old shrubs and thick brambles. I get so far, and then have a break for a couple of months, and then it's all grown back! It's difficult to find time cause of work but been at it again now every wkd for the last 2 months and seems to be paying off. I've found a pampas grass too today and I think some Iris bulbs! 😀

9w
comment
elflin

Best of luck with that enormous task in front of you 😃

9w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

Thanks Val! 😁👍🏼 @elflin

9w
comment
kathy

It's not easy as we know when we moved here the gorse was over 6ft high it took years then we got 150 chickens 2 pigs and a goat!!! They did a good job of controlling some of it then we got someone in to level about 1 acre and tons of top soil as it is the site of an old copper mine talk about blood sweat and tears

9w
comment
richard.spicer.7906

That sounds like an incredible amount of work you've put in there Kathy, I'm exhausted just thinking about it. I like the idea of getting in animals to help, although I don't think I could fit 150 chickens in my garden 😂🐔. As a whole, my garden looks terrible at the moment which is why I tend to post plant specific pictures. Although if I can carry on for another month I think it will be ready for winter. I'm also shredding and composting everything I cut down 😁

9w
  • Season Icon Mid SpringMid Spring 2015
  • Like Count 1
comment
richard.spicer.7906

I honestly have no idea with this one. Anyone have any ideas? #iris #iris-foetidissima #irisfoetidissimayellowform #stinkingiris

10w

>