Greater St. Louis Iris Society

Home
United States
St. Louis, MO
Greater St. Louis Iris Society

The Greater St. Louis Iris Society is an affiliate of the American Iris Society, and we are based out of the beautiful Missouri Botanical Garden.

09/07/2026

Behind every beautiful iris is a lot of work.

There are hybridizers dreaming up new varieties, growers tending thousands of plants, and gardeners digging, dividing, planting, weeding, and sharing their treasures with others.

This Labor Day, we celebrate all the people whose hard work makes the world of iris a little more beautiful.

09/03/2026

Happy World Beard Day!

Today we celebrate beards—and naturally, that got us thinking about bearded irises! Their beautiful, fuzzy “beards” are one of the things that make these irises so distinctive and irresistible.

So raise a toast to the beards, both human and floral!

09/01/2026

September 1 — Time to Plant Iris! 🌱

Here in the St. Louis region, September marks the height of iris planting season. If you’ve received new bearded iris—or have other iris waiting to find their place in the garden—now is the time to get them in the ground!

The weather is cooling, the soil is still warm, and those new rhizomes have plenty of time to establish strong roots before winter.

So, fellow iris growers, put down the catalog, pick up your shovel, and get planting! 🌸

08/29/2026

‘Fruit at the Bottom’ is such a cheerful little SDB iris! We are so glad it won the Cook-Douglas Award of The American Iris Society in 2026.

It was bred by Hugh Stout of Oklahoma.

It does well in our St. Louis region garden, so check it out!

Also—Don’t miss Hugh’s talk to the Greater St. Louis Iris Society on October 18, 2026. Let me know if you need details.

08/26/2026

On today’s National Dog Day we can celebrate our pets and pay tribute to them in knowing so many iris names were inspired by them!

In order: ‘Fancy Dog’ (Black, 2009)

‘Lead Dog’ (Bern, 2005)

‘Dog Days’ (Black 2011)

08/22/2026

Steve Kelly’s tall bearded iris was one of the top votes for The Wister Medal of the American Iris Society announced recently.

‘Sunglasses Needed’ is a intense yellow beacon of light.

Steve breeds iris in Las Cruces, New Mexico where he produces iris with gorgeous coloration, heavily saturated. We loved these two clumps of Steve’s iris at the American Iris Association Convention in 2021 held in Las Cruces. The second photo includes Steve’s ‘Martian Sunset’ which was extremely popular with convention attendees.

08/18/2026

One of the most exciting Awards of The American Iris Society recently is Doug Kanarowski’s win of the Wister Medal for receiving top votes in the Best Tall Bearded category.

His ‘Arizona Cave Painting’ introduced in 2020 is beautiful in our garden.

All of Doug’s tall bearded cultivars, bred in California, do well in our St. Louis region gardens! He introduces only a few each year, and they are always beautiful and distinctive.

08/15/2026

Today is National Relaxation Day (where do they come up with these designations?)

Anyway, we invite you to relax with a lovely adult beverage of your choice and enjoy a few images of pretty iris.

08/13/2026

The word is out! The D***s medal winner this year is a species cross by Jill Copeland, introduced in 2017.

It is ‘Alabama Blue Fin’ and it is lovely. It’s always exciting when an Iris other than a tall bearded Iris wins the D**e meal because that happens very seldom.

This is a Pseudata type iris, one and that has genes from the species pseudacorus and ensata (Japanese) iris.

Address

Meeting Place Most Months: Commerce Bank Educational Building, 4344 Shaw Avenue
St. Louis, MO
63110

Telephone

+13142852356

Website

http://www.stlouisirises.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Greater St. Louis Iris Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in St. Louis?