Planting Japanese Iris Seeds

I harvested a few seed pods from what I believe was a Japanese iris when I was visiting my nephew in New York. After I brought them back to my home in Florida, I removed the seeds and stored them over winter. When I transplanted the seeds into individual pots, I was surprised to see them grow. Will they continue to grow in this climate, or am I wasting my time? Being that they are from the north, do they need a rest period?

Japanese iris can grow as far south as zone 9 and some gardeners have had success in zone 10. Keep the plants somewhat dry during the dormant period. Many gardeners in mild climates will grow the iris in pots so they can move them out of the wet boggy soils for winter. The fact your plant came from a northern garden may mean it is a cultivar more suited for the north and may have difficulty adjusting to your warmer climate. This is just another gardening situation where you will have to wait and see what happens. You will need to be patient. It can take as many as four or five years before these plants started from seed will begin to bloom.

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