Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Iris germanica, Bearded Iris, is widely cultivated but is probably native to the Eastern Meditteranean. At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, we are dedicated to the use and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which the plants are being grown. Since the bearded iris falls out of our range of expertise, we have found a couple very good websites that should be able to help you make your decision.

Bearded Iris for the Home Landscape, a North Carolina State University Horticulture Information Leaflets by Erv Evans has some general information. If you pot the rhizomes up in pots when you get to North Carolina and keep them in a cool place, you should be able to replant them in the early Spring.

This Questions on Iris by Ron Smith, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension Service goes into even more detail, and also has a link to another website with Iris information.

For the final word, this AllExperts website Bulbs-Saving Iris Rhizomes, Expert Kenneth Joergensen suggests digging them, cleaning them up, make sure they are dry and putting in brown paper bags and storing in the refrigerator.

So, you have your choice of ways to do it, and can select what works best for your schedule. We would advise you to have them out of the ground for the shortest possible time, but in Pennsylvania you will, of course, have to dig them before the ground freezes.