Hi guys, I frequently see adds for fall reblooming irises. I was curious if it's a gimmick or not. I'm a lily nut and I know that they try these "lily tree" scams. If they are real do you need to do anything special to get a rebloom? Thanks - Joe

Joe, they are real, many are very reliable re-bloomers, depending on the zone you live in. (I would caution you from buying any from a box store though, often misslabled) I would guess that there would be several that would re-bloom in zone 7, there are only a few that will make it before frost in my frozen part of the world. @Arlyn is our resident re-blooming expert on here, maybe he will weigh in on this question. He lives in Illinois, and has had success with rebloomers there.

They do require a bit more fertilizer after the first bloom to build up for the next bloom season, but beyond that I don't think they require much different care then regular ones. The white one Immortality is a very reliable re-bloomer for me here in Wisconsin.

No, It's not a scam...and yes, you usually DO have to "do something special" to get maximum performance. I see you're in zone 7, so there should be LOTS of choices for "dependable " rebloom for you! I would recommend you visit the Winterberry Iris website, and do some reading. There are tons of tips ,and lots of info on the "why's and wherefores" of re blooming iris (as well as lots of iris to drool over, and purchase!) I'll try to post the link, but I'm no techie...and it doesn't usually for me....Arlyn
http://winterberryirises.com/

p.s. Welcome !

Joe -- I would like to inject a word of caution. If you're seeing these *ads* on Ebay -- beware. The is one scammer on there, in particular, who lists almost everything she has as a rebloomer. The truth of the matter is that she has no named Irises at all -- she takes your money and sends you rhizomes of ditch Irises -- and it takes two or three years for you to find out that she lied.

So do your homework. Best thing is to only buy from known Iris growers/breeders/vendors.

I have several rebloomers and don't see any difference in them other than more blooms. Yes, they are real. I did get mine from Iris farms or groups.

I am becoming more interested in getting rebloomers and will be looking for recommendations as I start getting beds ready. Lots of folk here have great information, Joe, so be welcome and dive right in.

Thanks to all for the valuable info. I'll peek in from time to time but you can usually find on the lily section of the site.

Immortality (Zurbrigg 1982) reblooms well for us in zone 5a! The first bloom occurs in the spring (around May) and then it will bloom again in late fall (September/October). We do nothing special to make it happen.

http://www.damongardens.com/dg...

Immortality is my best rebloomer.

Don't be disappointed as it can take awhile to settling into your garden. Once that is done, it is very reliable.