How to plant Iris japonica? A complete guide to propagation and cultivation techniques
Iris japonica is characterized by green leaves and purple flowers shaped like butterflies, with high ornamental value. Today, the editor will explain the propagation and cultivation techniques of Iris japonica.
Iris japonica is actually a wild flower species, but due to its good ornamental value, it has been cultivated artificially. Common cultivation methods include potted planting, garden planting, and planting along roadsides. Today, the editor will share the cultivation techniques of Iris japonica.
Iris japonica, also known as Pansy, originated in Europe and is now often used in garden construction in China. It can be used as medicine and has high ornamental value. Iris japonica can be propagated using three methods: seeding, stem cutting, and division propagation. So what should be noted when using these methods, and how should care be done after propagation? Below is a detailed explanation.
Propagation methods
1. Seeding: The germination temperature of Iris japonica seeds is about 18 degrees, so it is recommended to sow in autumn. They will germinate in half a month. After that, as long as care is done well, they can bloom the following year.
2. Division: Division can be done except in winter. It is recommended to divide in May to June. When dividing, ensure the rhizome carries new shoots. Transplant the divisions into pots, place them in a cool place, and water thoroughly once. Do not place them in sunlight within one week.
3. Stem cutting: The most suitable time for stem cutting is May to June. It is best to choose new shoots sprouting from the roots, as such branches root faster. Insert them into soil and water thoroughly once. They will root in 15 to 20 days.
Care after propagation
The suitable growth temperature for Iris japonica is 15 to 25 degrees. Maintaining this temperature range after transplanting is beneficial to the growth of new plants. If the temperature exceeds 30, cooling measures should be taken. Also, be careful not to let water accumulate, as it easily breeds bacteria that can make the plant sick or cause root rot.
In addition, light is very important for Iris japonica and is directly related to the vividness of its flowers. With little light, the flowers will be in poor condition and the ornamental value will decrease.
Iris japonica is most suitable for open-air planting because it has certain requirements for soil, environment, temperature, and humidity. Those who love flowers and plants can take a look at the above propagation and cultivation techniques for Iris japonica.
Iris japonica Iris japonica Thunb. Iris japonica picture guide: how to grow Iris japonica / how to propagate Iris japonica
Iris japonica profileIris japonica Iris japonica Thunb.
Aliases: Japanese iris, Kaihoujian, flat bamboo, sword grass, Qionghua, wooden hydrangea, Poly Eight Immortals flower, Fuyi, iron shoulder pole, swallow flower, blue flower scissors, purple swallow, bean sauce grass, mountain-crossing tiger, mountain-searching tiger, six-angle grass, Zhimu, Gaojiancao, golden shoulder pole, bean sauce leaf, flat bamboo leaf, orchid grass, flat bamboo orchid
Classification: Perennial herbaceous flower
Family and genus: Plantae, Angiosperms, Monocotyledoneae, Liliales, Iridaceae, Iris
Full bloom period: Spring
Iris japonica, also known as orchid grass, Japanese iris, Kaihoujian, flat bamboo orchid, sword grass, and also called Qionghua. Perennial herb, rhizome creeping, with long branches, flowering period April to May. Scattered in understory and shady wet places beside streams, native to the vast areas south of the Yangtze River in China, also found in Japan. Iris japonica branches spread widely, and the crown is spherical. Leaves opposite, ovate or elliptical, with fine teeth on the edges, sparsely stellate-hairy on the back. Around the inflorescence are large white sterile flowers, and in the center are fertile flowers. Drupe elliptical, first red then later. Flowering period April. Iris japonica is a common name for a herbaceous flowering plant. This flower consists of 6 petal-like parts...
Iris japonica cultivation methods and precautions, introduction to Iris japonica
Iris japonica, also known as orchid grass, Japanese iris, Kaihoujian, flat bamboo orchid, sword grass, and also called Qionghua. Perennial herb, rhizome creeping, with long branches, flowering period April to May. Scattered in understory and shady wet places beside streams, native to the vast areas south of the Yangtze River in China, also found in Japan.
Iris japonica branches spread widely, and the crown is spherical. Leaves opposite, ovate or elliptical, with fine teeth on the edges, sparsely stellate-hairy on the back. Around the inflorescence are large white sterile flowers, and in the center are fertile flowers. Drupe elliptical, first red then later. Flowering period April.
Iris japonica is a common name for a herbaceous flowering plant. This flower consists of a perianth made up of 6 petal-like parts, 3 to 6 stamens, and an ovary enclosed at the base.
Iris japonica is named after the messenger of God and the rainbow connecting the earth and other worlds. It is said that Iris japonica once saved the life of Clovis, King of the Franks in the sixth century - when he saw Iris japonica growing in the Rhine River, he deduced that the river was shallow and could be crossed, thereby escaping pursuit by his enemies.
Iris japonica blooms between April and May. The flowers are as large as a plate and as white as jade. The cyme grows at the branch tips. The eight surrounding flowers are sterile flowers developed from sepals, and the middle ones are small bisexual flowers.
Iris japonica grows in Japan, China, and most countries with mild climates. It is distributed in Sichuan, Gansu, Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong and areas to the south.
Morphological characteristics of Iris japonica
Perennial herb. The rhizome can be divided into thicker upright rhizomes and slender horizontal rhizomes. The upright rhizome is flat-round, with many shorter internodes, brown, while the horizontal rhizome has long internodes and is yellow-white; fibrous roots grow on the nodes of the rhizome and are much branched.
Leaves basal, dark green, glossy, with a red-purple tinge near the ground, sword-shaped, 25-60 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, apex acuminate, without an obvious midvein.
Flowering stem upright, taller than the leaves, terminal sparse raceme-cymose inflorescence, with 5-12 branches, equal in length to or slightly exceeding the bracts; bracts leaf-like, 3-5, broadly lanceolate or ovate, 0.8-1.5 cm long, apex obtuse, containing 2-4 flowers, flowers pale blue or blue-purple, 4.5-5 cm in diameter; pedicels extending beyond the bracts, 1.5-2.5 cm long; perianth tube obvious, 1.1-1.5 cm long, outer perianth segments obovate or elliptical, 2.5-3 cm long, 1.4-2 cm wide, apex slightly concave, base cuneate, margin wavy, with fine toothed fissures, with a raised yellow crest-like appendage on the midvein, inner perianth segments elliptical or narrowly obovate, 2.8-3 cm long, 1.5-2.1 cm wide, claw cuneate, apex slightly concave, margin with fine toothed fissures, spreading outward when the flower is fully open; stamens 0.8-1.2 cm long, anthers oblong, white; style branches slightly shorter than the inner perianth segments, pale blue at the midrib, apical lobes fimbriate-filamentous, ovary fusiform, 0.7-1 cm long. Capsule elliptic-cylindrical, 2.5-3 cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter, apex slightly pointed, base obtuse, without a beak, 6 longitudinal ribs obvious, dehiscing from the apex to the middle at maturity; seeds black-brown, irregular polyhedra, without appendages. Flowering period March-April, fruiting period May-June.
Ecological habits of Iris japonica
Iris japonica is native to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and other places in China, and is a warm temperate semi-shade tree species. It is relatively cold-tolerant, can adapt to ordinary soil, and prefers moist and fertile places. It grows vigorously, with strong sprouting and tillering ability, and seeds have the habit of germinating in alternate years.
Shade-tolerant and cold-tolerant. Scattered in understory and shady wet places beside streams.
Cultivation techniques of Iris japonica
Seedling plants of Iris japonica generally take 7 to 8 years to bloom, but if grafted with branches bearing flower buds from an adult Qionghua, they can bloom in the first year after survival. The grafting method is: in early March (before buds sprout), take branches from a mother tree that can bloom (usually peripheral branches in the middle and upper part of the crown), cut a section about 5 cm long as the scion, preferably retaining the terminal bud, generally using the high grafting method. After grafting, place in a shaded place. After the scion buds produce leaves, place directly in sunlight. There is a growth correlation between the main trunk and branches of Iris japonica. When side branches are high-grafted, the top of the main trunk should be cut off to speed up the survival and growth of the scion and help it enter the full bloom period earlier. Seeds after shelling generally emerge in about 1 month. When the seedlings have just produced their first pair of leaves, they should be properly shaded, especially at noon, to prevent direct sunlight on the seedlings, so as to avoid excessive transpiration and wilting of young leaves. If leaves are found to curl inward and recover immediately in the evening, it indicates that leaf transpiration exceeds root absorption, which is common under hot or dry conditions.
Management points: As long as the place is fertile and moist, it will grow well under weaker light. Just keep the soil moist.
Propagation methods of Iris japonica
Propagation: Division or seeding propagation.
Seed propagation is commonly used. Seeds are collected in November, piled for after-ripening, washed clean, stratified at low temperature until sowing the next spring, covered with slightly thick soil, and then covered with grass on top. In June of that year, some germinate and emerge. At this time, the grass can be removed and shade provided. Keep them in the seedbed for 2 years, then they can be transplanted and divided, and after 4 to 5 years they can be transplanted for garden beautification.
Transplanting Iris japonica
Iris japonica is easy to transplant and survive. It should be done in early spring before sprouting, preferably in a semi-shaded environment, and attention should be paid to fertilizer and water management after survival. The main branches easily sprout water sprouts that disrupt the tree shape. After flowering, pruning can be done appropriately. In summer, cut off the tips of water sprouts to shape the whole plant. After flowering, fertilize once to promote growth.
Sowing Iris japonica
The fruit of Iris japonica is a drupe in the simple fruit category. The endocarp is extremely hard and wraps outside the seed. The seed collection period is generally after October, and maturity is indicated by the outer fruit peel turning black. After collection, seeds should be stored in sand. The following year at Qingming, take them out, wash off the fruit peel, peel off the seed shell (endocarp), or wear away part of the seed shell, or soak in 0.1% dilute acid solution for 24 hours to soften the seed shell before sowing. Untreated seeds generally are very difficult to emerge in the same year. After sowing, cover with about 1.5 cm of soil. If sown in pots, water and loosen the soil frequently so the seedlings emerge as soon as possible.
Disease control of Iris japonica
Iris japonica has strong adaptability. Sandy soil, clay soil, and ordinary soil can all be used for cultivation. Seedlings cultivated in sandy soil have well-developed root systems. During the peak growth season, attention should be paid to applying thin fertilizer frequently. If leaves are found to turn yellow, spray the leaves with 1/1000 ferrous sulfate solution.
Qionghua leaves have more hairs, so they are generally not easily attacked by insect pests. However, the degree of cutinization of the lower epidermis is relatively low, and the secretions of some fungal spores during germination can dissolve this part of the cuticle, so Bordeaux mixture usually needs to be sprayed for control during the plum rain season.
In addition, because the refractive property of the cuticle of Iris japonica is medium, it should not be directly exposed to strong sunlight in hot summer.
Distribution area of Iris japonica
Iris japonica is native to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and other places in China, and is a warm temperate semi-shade tree species.
Produced in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Benxi. It grows in relatively shady and moist grasslands on hillsides, under sparse forests, or in forest-edge grasslands. In the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau area, it often grows at altitudes of 3000-3300 m. Also produced in Japan.
Common varieties in the variety classification of Iris japonica
White Iris japonica is a perennial herb, with flowers pale blue or purple. Flowering stem upright. It generally grows in relatively shady and moist grasslands on hillsides, under sparse forests, or in forest-edge grasslands.
White Iris japonica is a perennial herb. The rhizome can be divided into thicker upright rhizomes and slender horizontal rhizomes. Leaves basal, dark green, glossy, with a red-purple tinge near the ground, sword-shaped, apex acuminate, without an obvious midvein. Flowering stem upright, taller than the leaves, terminal sparse raceme-cymose inflorescence, with 5-12 branches; bracts leaf-like, 3-5, broadly lanceolate or ovate, apex obtuse, containing 2-4 flowers; flowers pale blue or blue-purple, 4.5-5.5 cm in diameter; pedicels extending beyond the bracts; perianth tube obvious, outer perianth segments obovate or elliptical, apex slightly concave, base cuneate, margin wavy, with fine toothed fissures, with a raised yellow crest-like appendage on the midvein, inner perianth segments elliptical or narrowly obovate, claw cuneate, apex slightly concave, margin with fine toothed fissures, spreading outward when the flower is fully open; stamens about 0.8-3 cm long, anthers oblong, white; style branches slightly shorter than the inner perianth, pale blue at the midrib, ovary fusiform. Capsule elliptic-cylindrical, apex slightly pointed, base obtuse, without a beak, 6 longitudinal ribs obvious, dehiscing from the apex to the middle at maturity; seeds black-brown, irregular polyhedra, without appendages. Flowering period March-April, fruiting period May-June.
White Iris japonica - Growth habits
It grows in relatively shady and moist grasslands on hillsides, under sparse forests, or in forest-edge grasslands. In the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau area, it often grows at altitudes of 3000-3300 m.
White Iris japonica - Propagation
Division or seeding propagation.
White Iris japonica - Cultivation management
As long as the place is fertile and moist, it will grow well under weaker light. Just keep the soil moist.
White Iris japonica - Garden application
In gardens, it is often planted in flower beds or in forests as ground cover.
White Iris japonica - Medicinal use
It is a folk herbal medicine, actively clearing heat and detoxifying, removing blood stasis and promoting water metabolism, treating children's fever, pulmonary disease with coughing blood, sore throat, traumatic blood stasis, etc.
White Iris japonica - Domestic distribution
Zhejiang, Hubei and other provinces
White Iris japonica - Environment
Hillside forest edges or wet places under sparse forests
Medicinal or dietary therapeutic value of Iris japonica
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Medicinal value
The whole plant and roots of Iris japonica can be used as medicine.
The whole plant of Iris japonica is bitter in taste and cold in nature. It can detoxify, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. It treats hepatitis, hepatomegaly, liver pain, sore throat, and stomach disease.
The rhizome of Iris japonica is called Flat Bamboo Root in medicine. Also known as Tuzhimu, Ya'ershen, and iron shoulder pole, it contains a large amount of vitamin C, is bitter in taste and cold in nature. Its functions are promoting digestion, killing insects, clearing heat, and relieving constipation. It treats food accumulation and abdominal distension, roundworm abdominal pain, toothache, throat moth, and constipation.
Commonly used prescriptions:
1. To treat food accumulation, qi accumulation, and blood accumulation: Flat bamboo root, stinking grass root, Shuwanzi root, Jiangermuzi, and Liu Jinu. Grind into powder and take with wine.
2. To treat knee swelling: Flat bamboo root 30 grams, simmer in water and take, or use fresh root 3 grams, cut finely, and swallow with rice soup.
3. To treat toothache (fire pain): Flat bamboo root 15 grams, boil together with one green-shelled duck egg, drink the soup, and eat the duck egg.
4. To treat uterine prolapse: Flat bamboo root 60 grams. Mash into a paste, fry until hot, and apply to the affected area.
5. To treat cough: Iris japonica 3 to 9 grams, decoct in water and take with honey.
6. To treat lymphatic tuberculosis (ulcerated): Mash fresh Iris japonica into juice and apply to the affected area.
Garden uses of Iris japonica
In gardens, Iris japonica is often planted in flower beds or in forests as ground cover, with very high ornamental value.
National flower and city flower of Iris japonica
Iris japonica is the city flower of Yangzhou.
Since ancient times, it has had the reputation of "one flower in Weiyang, no equal in the four seas." Iris japonica is a famous flower unique to China. Documentary records show it was cultivated as early as the Tang Dynasty. With its elegant posture and unique charm, as well as various legendary and romantic tales and anecdotes, it has won deep affection from the world and endless praise from literati and poets, and is called a rare wonder flower and "China's unique immortal flower."
Iris japonica is unmatched in the world.
As the city flower of Yangzhou, Iris japonica is fully deserving of the title. The most famous thing in Yangzhou is of course Iris japonica. Iris japonica is famous throughout the world for its lush leaves and abundant flowers and its pure white beauty. Legend has it that Emperor Yang of Sui ordered the excavation of the Grand Canal just to go to Yangzhou to admire Qionghua. When Ouyang Xiu served here as governor, he once praised Iris japonica as a flower unmatched in the world and inscribed "Wushuang Pavilion" in the Qionghua Observatory. Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty once moved Iris japonica to the imperial garden in Bianjing, but who knew it withered the next year, so it had to be sent back to Yangzhou. Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty moved it to Lin'an again, but it immediately became withered and flowerless, and only after being moved back to Yangzhou again did it recover. When the Yuan troops captured Yangzhou, Iris japonica completely died. The people of Yangzhou have a special affection for Iris japonica. Although the original plant is no longer there, the people of Yangzhou regard a flower called Poly Eight Immortals as Iris japonica and carefully cultivate and protect it as the city flower. Today, the pure white clusters of flowers along the lake shore are the Yangzhou Qionghua "unmatched in the four seas" - the Poly Eight Immortals flower.
In 2007, Iris japonica was also rated as the city flower of Kunshan.
Cultural background of Iris japonica
Iris japonica is an ancient famous flower of China. Zhang Wen of the Song Dynasty described it in "Qionghua Fu": "Its beautiful appearance matches jasmine, it laughs at roses as mundane; only the narcissus can match its quiet leisure, and the river plum seems similar in its pure virtue." Indeed, with its elegant posture and unique charm, and even more with the various legendary and romantic tales and fascinating anecdotes about Iris japonica, it has won deep affection from the world and endless praise from literati and poets, and is called a rare wonder flower and "China's unique immortal flower."
According to the "Post-Tu Temple Qionghua Poem - Preface" written by Wang Yucheng, a famous official and literatus in the early Northern Song Dynasty: "There is one flower in the Post-Tu Temple in Yangzhou, pure white and lovely, and its tree is large and its flowers abundant. I do not know what tree it actually is; commonly it is called Qionghua. Therefore I composed a poem to describe its unusual nature." From this it can be seen that the name Qionghua was already circulating among the people before Wang Yucheng's record. After Wang Yucheng, more and more literati wrote poems about it, and the writing became more and more wondrous. Han Qi wrote a poem praising: "One flower in Weiyang, no equal in the four seas." Liu Chang's poem says: "In the east ten thousand trees compete in splendor, unmatched in the world is only this flower." Ouyang Xiu also wrote a poem praising: "Qionghua and peony are unmatched in the world; if one does not write a poem about them, they will resent it; I once got drunk beneath Wushuang Pavilion, and know I have not failed the spring of Guangling." Not only did he praise its beauty, but he also emphasized that Qionghua was unique to Yangzhou. From then on, Qionghua not only became famous in the world, but was also closely linked with the rise and fall of the ancient city of Yangzhou.
During its cultivation in China, Iris japonica was repeatedly damaged and experienced many partings and reunions, which perhaps no other flower has experienced. According to records, in the Han Dynasty there was a Qionghua plant east of Yangzhou city, and at that time someone specially built the "Qionghua Observatory" for it. When Ouyang Xiu served as governor of Yangzhou in the Song Dynasty, he built "Wushuang Pavilion" beside the flower to show that it was unmatched in the world. According to "Qidong Yeyu" written by Zhou Mi of the Song Dynasty, during the Qingli period of Emperor Renzong of Song (1041-1048), Qionghua was transplanted from the Qionghua Observatory to Kaifeng, but later because it gradually withered it was sent back to Yangzhou. During the Chunxi period of Emperor Xiaozong of Song (1174-1189), it was transplanted again into the imperial forbidden garden in Hangzhou, but who knew it withered after a year. Not long after, when it was carried back to Yangzhou, the dead wood revived, and people all said Qionghua was a sentient being. Unfortunately, this famous flower of a generation finally withered and died in the early Yuan Dynasty. According to Du You in "Qionghua Ji": during the Shaoxing period of Emperor Gaozong of Song (1131-1162), when the Jin troops invaded southward, Yangzhou Qionghua also became their target for plunder. Large plants were pulled out by the roots, and those that could not be fully dug out were leveled to the ground. But after a year, new shoots grew beside the cut roots, and with the careful cultivation of the Daoist priest Tang Daning, it finally slowly recovered to its original state. What is astonishing is that in the 13th year of the Zhiyuan period of Kublai Khan, Emperor Shizu of Yuan (1276), the year the Song Dynasty fell, Yangzhou Qionghua suddenly died. Could it be that this flower also had feelings and mourned the fall of the great Song Dynasty? On this point, it is not something the author can answer. It is just that the originally "unmatched in the world" Yangzhou Qionghua, once its fragrance vanished and its jade-like beauty was gone, became a "peerless treasure." Twenty years later, a Daoist priest named Jin Bingrui replanted "Poly Eight Immortals" in the Qionghua Observatory. What later generations called Qionghua was actually "Poly Eight Immortals." As for the relationship between "Poly Eight Immortals" and Qionghua, we will introduce it below. However, from this we can know that it has been seven or eight hundred years since Poly Eight Immortals was recognized as Qionghua. Later, after repeated wars and chaos, Poly Eight Immortals also became extinct. From then on, the flowers of the Qionghua Observatory died and the observatory fell into ruin, existing in name only. Even so, Qionghua still occupied a place in people's hearts. It is recorded that after Qionghua's fragrance vanished and its jade-like beauty was gone, some people still climbed the Qionghua Observatory to seek the traces of the ancient Qionghua and recall the past: "In what year was this Qionghua Terrace created? Without seeing Qionghua, this observatory opens. A famous flower of a thousand years should have an end; seeking the flower, one still goes up to the old flower terrace."
However, the wishes of the world were not truly fulfilled until after the founding of the People's Republic of China. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, garden workers of Yangzhou Slender West Lake traveled all over the city's mountains, forests, and countryside, seeking treasures and rare plants, and finally rediscovered "Poly Eight Immortals" at Shugang and transplanted it to the lake garden, cultivating it carefully. China's most unique "immortal flower" finally bloomed again. After the 1980s, the Standing Committee of the Yangzhou Municipal People's Congress, in order to further satisfy people's wishes, decided to designate Qionghua as the city flower of Yangzhou. From then on, the ancient famous flower that had endured all hardships - Qionghua - finally shone again in the ancient city of Yangzhou and became an important tourism resource with distinctive characteristics in Yangzhou, one of the symbols of the ancient city of Weiyang. Qionghua has a relatively long lifespan. A Qionghua planted during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty in Yangzhou Daming Temple already has a history of more than 300 years, and today it is still lush, with the same graceful posture and charm as before.
The beauty of Iris japonica is a beauty with a unique charm. It does not captivate with bright flower colors or intoxicate with strong fragrance. At the turn of spring and summer, when nature is full of brilliant colors, Iris japonica blooms pure white like jade, graceful and especially delicate and elegant; and whenever the autumn wind is bleak and the many flowers fall in profusion and wither, what Iris japonica displays is the charming autumn color of green leaves and red fruits. Its leaves and fruits, red and green setting each other off, are especially vivid and long-lasting, adding brilliant color and a cheerful atmosphere to the bleak autumn scenery. Qionghua branches spread widely, the crown is spherical, the tree posture is graceful, and the tree shape is natural and distinctive. The beauty of Qionghua lies even more in its extraordinary flower shape. Its flowers are as large as a jade basin, surrounded in a circle by eight large five-petaled flowers, encircling the small white pearl-like flowers in the center (the not-yet-open bisexual small flowers), crowding around a cluster of butterfly-like stamens. Under the breeze, they gently sway, like butterflies playing with pearls; and also like the Eight Immortals dancing, with graceful immortal postures, captivating the viewer. "A thousand true pearls hold up pure stamens, a ring of bright moon breaks the fragrant flower." When there is no wind, it is also like eight fairies around a round table, drinking tea and gathering to talk. This unique flower shape is rare among plants, so people especially love it and praise it as "Poly Eight Immortals." Also, because the tree can reach several zhang in height, pure white jade-like flowers adorn the branches, as if covered by auspicious snow in deep winter, flowing with color and crystal clear, with a fresh fragrance that makes people yearn for it.
The beauty of Iris japonica also lies in its fascinating legendary tales. Legend says that Iris japonica was a precious flower unique to Yangzhou and unmatched elsewhere. Even Emperor Yang of Sui did not consider a thousand li too far and heavily conscripted laborers to dig the canal, single-mindedly wanting to go to Yangzhou to admire Iris japonica. But when the canal was completed, before Emperor Yang of Sui reached Yangzhou by dragon boat, Iris japonica was destroyed by a hailstorm. Then peasant uprisings broke out in various places; the Sui regime collapsed, and Emperor Yang of Sui died in Yangzhou. Hence there is the saying, "The flower died and the Sui officials were destroyed; looking at flowers is truly meaningless." Whether Emperor Yang of Sui really went to Yangzhou to see Iris japonica is not seen in the official histories, but the allusion comes from Chapter 47 of "Romance of the Sui and Tang": "Watching Qionghua, joy ends with Sui; dying for loyalty, fragrance fades and valor appears." Here, Qionghua is no longer merely a famous flower in nature, but has been personified as a sentient being. It has infinite sympathy for the laboring people and infinite hatred for the foolish ruler Emperor Yang of Sui; it does not fear violence or power; it clearly distinguishes love and hate, has spirit and feeling, and has become a symbol of beautiful things. Perhaps for this reason, Qionghua won the praise of literati and poets through the ages. It is precisely because of these legends and praises that Qionghua became famous in the world. People therefore regarded Qionghua as a rare wonder flower and grass, as something seldom seen in the human world, an immortal flower descended to the mortal world, and considered it a pleasure in life to be able to go to Yangzhou and glimpse the beauty of Qionghua. The grand flower-viewing scene in Yangzhou's history, "In the three spring months of love and admiration, carriages and horses clamor like a market," is a reflection of this.
Finally, it should also be mentioned that Iris japonica is actually not a specialty of Yangzhou. Zhou Mi of the Song Dynasty once mentioned "the Qionghua Garden of the Chu family pond in Hangzhou" in "Qidong Yeyu," indicating that Hangzhou also had Qionghua Iris japonica at that time. Li Gefei of the Song Dynasty (father of the famous female poet Li Qingzhao) also recorded in "Record of Famous Gardens in Luoyang" (written in the second year of Shaosheng, that is, 1095): Qionghua was planted in "Li Family Renfeng Garden." The famous literatus Yuan Yishan at the turn of the Jin and Yuan dynasties recorded in his "Xu Yijian Zhi": "Ten li southwest of Hu County (present-day Hu County, Shaanxi) is called Tan Valley. Entering the valley five li, there is a Qionghua tree. The tree is so large that four people can encircle it. It flowers in leap years, blooming at the first fu and finishing at the last fu. The flowers are white as jade, clustering open like Poly Eight Immortals, with one jade butterfly in the middle, rising above the flowers." It can be seen that ancient Qionghua also bloomed gracefully in Shaanxi. Also, according to a report in the first issue of "Tourism" magazine in 1982: in Tinglin Park in Kunshan County, Jiangsu, there were eight trees whose names could not be identified. They had grown for sixty or seventy years without ever blooming. Strangely, in recent years, every late spring, the eight trees competed to bloom and show their beauty. Their flowers consisted of eight large flowers surrounding small white flowers in the middle, and above the small flowers were tender yellow stamens. The flower color was like jade, and the fragrance was striking. After expert identification, they turned out to be eight "Poly Eight Immortals," which is truly rare. This further shows that Qionghua is not unique to Yangzhou and unmatched in the world. Although Qionghua has a unique graceful charm, due to repeated twists and turns in history and repeated disappearances, its traces have been hard to find, causing it to be neglected in the world because people "do not know the true face of Mount Lu." Even after being introduced abroad in the 19th century, it only quietly bloomed in botanical gardens and was little known or appreciated by outsiders.
Legend
The butterfly implies a kind of bleak beauty. Among the melancholy fallen leaves, it flies alone, forever waiting for those flowers to bloom and fade... The winter in Siberia is extremely cold. The howling north wind sweeps over every tree, every flower, every inch of land, and also that butterfly - a fragile little life. The weak heat of life was soon ravaged away by ice, frost, wind, and snow. The Siberian butterfly stopped dancing and fell like a thin leaf. Has a life disappeared just like that? Perhaps because it made a fragile life fall, the cold ice and frost wrapped the butterfly in its embrace. Although it was so icy cold, it spared that life from the attack of wind and snow. This can also be considered a bit of mercy from the ice and frost!
But all of this was already too late, far too late. The butterfly had already stopped the trembling of its wings. The Siberian butterfly lay quietly in the embrace of the ice and frost, as if lying in a crystal coffin. She seemed quiet and serene, yet gave off an indelible desolation. Had she really died? The Siberian winter gradually passed, and the weather was still icy cold. Sunlight shone on the ice and frost, gradually melting the "crystal coffin." Melted ice water dripped from the withered branches and fell onto the butterfly's body. Miraculously, she began to tremble her wings. That ancient legend happened once again - the Siberian butterfly revived.
The cold Siberian winter always brings a kind of desolate and profound mystery. Like a dream, it is vague and ethereal. A legend has continued here all along: this butterfly will never die. After undergoing the baptism of severe winter, she will be frozen by the crystal coffin. Possessing the power of eternal life, when the crystal coffin shines in all directions under the sunlight, that is the day of her resurrection.
The light of seven colors penetrated everything frozen. That butterfly gradually revived, revealing traces of serene and vivid beauty from the distant and profound river of history. She will not grow old, as long as she is still endowed with a meaning - eternal life. She always sings the song that has remained unfinished through the ages, performing that ancient legend - the eternally living butterfly of Siberia. She keeps flying, flying. Those light wings always hold tears, for a kind of passing, and also for a kind of sorrow and melancholy soon to come whose joy or lack thereof is unknown. Perhaps for her, eternal life is not happiness. She possesses the power of life and brings people hope, but every resurrection foretells a loss.
Each time she can only watch her friends and loved ones be born, age, fall ill, and die, while she is powerless to do anything. How far is forever? The Siberian butterfly can shed tears, and her tears will forever hang crystal-clear on her pure white wings. Only because of these tears can she revive again and again, again and again ancient, mysterious, and poignantly beautiful...
The flower language of Iris japonica
The flower language of Iris japonica is: To believe is happiness.
From ancient times to the present, different people still have different understandings of "happiness."
Some say, "That is a feeling of mutual dependence."
Some say, "That is a feeling that cannot be abandoned."
Some say, "This is forever..."
Some say, "That is the most important thing between lovers - belief."
To believe is a kind of happiness; to be loved is a kind of happiness.
To believe is happiness.
Iris japonica pictures
Iris japonica cultivation methods: precautions for Iris japonica propagation
The flowers of Iris japonica are like dancing butterflies, very beautiful. Iris japonica is named after the messenger of God and the rainbow connecting the earth and other worlds. So how do you grow Iris japonica? What are the propagation methods? Let us learn together about the cultivation methods and propagation methods of Iris japonica.
1. Cultivation methods of Iris japonica
1. Soil: Iris japonica likes moist, well-drained, humus-rich, slightly alkaline clay soil.
2. Watering: After planting Iris japonica, water thoroughly once, and afterward supplement water according to the actual dry and wet condition of the soil. For open-field cultivation, water once a week during the growing period. As the temperature decreases, gradually reduce the amount of watering. Generally, it is suitable for the soil to be slightly dry. Do not let the soil accumulate water or remain overly wet for a long time, so as to avoid root rot or disease.
3. Sunlight: Iris japonica likes sufficient sunlight and is also slightly shade-tolerant. It is suitable for potted cultivation and can also be grown in open fields. It has strong adaptability and will grow vigorously under ordinary normal management.
4. Fertilization: Before planting butterfly iris, apply a base fertilizer. From spring sprouting and growth until before flowering, butterfly iris should be given 1-2 applications of fully decomposed dilute cake fertilizer water or compound flower fertilizer. After the flowers fade, it is best to apply 1 more application of liquid fertilizer.
5. Pests and diseases: Common diseases of butterfly iris include rust and soft rot. In the early stage of rust, a 400-fold dilution of 25% triadimefon can be used for control, and soft rot can be controlled with a 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture. Among the pests of butterfly iris is the owlet moth; a 1200-fold dilution of 90% trichlorfon can be used as a root drench for control.
II. Propagation methods of butterfly iris
The propagation methods of butterfly iris commonly include division and cuttings, and seed propagation can also be used.
Division propagation of butterfly iris is carried out during the dormant period in early winter or early spring. First dig the old butterfly iris plants out of the soil, cut the rhizomes into individual plants with 2-3 buds per section, and plant them once the cut surfaces have dried. Alternatively, after butterfly iris has finished flowering, cut off the leaves more than 30 cm above the plant, divide into clumps of 2-3 plants each, and plant them out. With this division propagation method, butterfly iris generally does not bloom until the 3rd year.
The cutting propagation method of butterfly iris is usually carried out in spring. Cut the rhizomes of butterfly iris into 6-8 cm cuttings, then insert them into a sand bed at a temperature of 20°C, leaving 1-1.5 cm of the top of the butterfly iris exposed. Water thoroughly at first, and afterward make sure the sand bed maintains a certain humidity. After about 2 weeks, butterfly iris can sprout and form independent new plants. When the new plants put out 2-3 new leaves, they can be lifted and planted out.
The seed propagation method of butterfly iris is usually carried out when the top of the butterfly iris capsule is ripe and splitting. Collect the seeds and sow them immediately; they sprout the same year. Using refrigerated seeds to break the dormancy of butterfly iris, they germinate 10 days after sowing. Butterfly iris seedlings take 3-4 years to flower.
The above isbutterfly iris cultivation methodsandbutterfly iris propagation methodsshared, and we hope it is helpful to friends who grow butterfly iris.