Do you know of a topic or an upcoming event that SPCNI members would like to be aware of? A special iris-related announcement? An award winning photo (or one that deserves an award)? An especially helpful newspaper article? Let us know, so we can post it here. Send the information to Debby Cole, SPCNI President: 7417 92nd Place SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040; [E-mail: dcthree@juno.com], or forward it to SPCNI webperson Steve Ayala: 929 Pepperwood Lane, Petaluma, CA 94952 [E-mail: stevayla@sonic.net].

SPCNI's Online Photo Contest Winners

Check out the five winners in the Society's 2008 Pacifica iris online photo contest. Click on the easel to see the selected photos.

March 28, 2008

SPCNI ALMANAC - Complete Index

    Terri Hudson recently finished putting together a complete Index to the SPCNI Almanac, covering the years 1973 through 2006. The file is in .pdf format, and requires Adobe Acrobat to open (available free online). Those wanting frequent reference might print out a paper copy to keep on hand.

July 29, 2007

4th Annual PCI Open House

El Centro Garadens in El Sobrante, California will be open to the public on Saturday, April 5, 2008. You will find thousands of Pacifica iris in peak bloom, including many recently introduced varieties. Click on the photo for more information.

February 23, 2008

Douglas Iris cover watercolor

Pamela Glasscock provided a dozen watercolors of California coastal wildflowers to illustrate the 2007 annual report of the Sonoma County Community Foundation.   Click on the photo to see her Douglas iris rendering on the cover.

July 20, 2007

American Iris Society - 2007 Awards - Californicae Section

Here are the winners of the AIS awards for outstanding Pacifica iris for 2007. For the winners in all categories, check http://www.irises.org/AISawards2007.pdf . Further information is available on the AIS website.

2007 Sidney B. Mitchell Medal.   Winner - Pacific Miss (Lois Belardi).   Runner-up - Mendocino Blue (Robert and Janet Canning).
Awards of Merit.   Star of Wonder (Joseph Ghio), Mocha Melody (Alphild Lind).   Runners-up - Drip Drop (Joseph Ghio), Magic Sea (Lois Belardi).
Honorable Mentions.   Bar Code (Joseph Ghio), Bubble Gum (Joseph Ghio), Steamer Lane (Lois Belardi), Admiral's Pride (Vernon Wood), Ocean Blue (Joseph Ghio).   Runners-up - Lines that Rhyme (Joseph Ghio), Star Of Evening (Joseph Ghio).

July 21, 2007

California's Sierra Iris having a good year

    A May 2007 report: "California's Sierra Iris" describes the short-term effect of "forest thinning" on Iris hartwegii populations in Nevada County, California.

May 19, 2007

Newspaper features developer of PCN hybrids

    A new report by Jannie Dresser in the San Francisco Chronicle describes local gardener Ryan Grisso and his efforts to produce new varieties of Pacific Coast iris hybrids. Click on the image to see the report. Close the window to return.

April 12, 2007

New Resources for PCI Enthusiasts

    Two new helpful information aides are now available. Contact the SPCNI Secretary for information or purchase.

• CHECKLIST OF NAMED PCI CULTIVARS.   70-page publication describes each named native and hybrid cultivar, updated through 2005. Hardcopy or CD format - $9.00 for USA, $9.50 for Canada, $16 for Europe. For both versions, subtract $4.50 for the CD.
• SPCNI PHOTO CD.   Photographs of 280+ PCI cultivars, compiled by SPCNI Registrar Ken Walker. 2005. $9.00

October 2, 2006

Photo Slide Sets Available

    The Society for Pacific Coast Native Iris has two 35 mm photo slide sets available for rent. One set covers native PCI species (54 slides, 8 species), and the second shows many of the more attractive Pacifica iris hybrids (59 slides, 44 named varieties, 15 unnamed hybrids). Rental fee for each set is $7.50 to SPCNI. For more information contact:

Terri Hudson
33450 Little Valley Road
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
E-Mail: theirisgallery@earthlink.net

October 1, 2006

Southern Sierra Iris race recovering from drought

    Richard Richard's June 2006 revisit to Barton Flat in the San Bernadino mountains (site of the Society's 2002 MiniTrek), shows the local Iris hartwegii australis are recovering well, following abundant winter showfall and good spring rains.

August 31, 2006

WebSite Recognized 2006

    This notice arrived in June:   "Society for Pacific Coast Native Iris -   Your website has been selected as one of the best educational resources on the Web by StudySphere. StudySphere is one of the Internet's fastest growing sites of educational resources for students, teachers and parents. StudySphere has scoured the Internet to select only the finest sites to be included within its listing of educational links. Congratulations!"

June 28, 2006

Spring Trek 2006 - May 21 in Portland

    Debby Cole and Jean Witt led a bus load of visitors around Hagg Lake, where the Oregon Iris colors range from lavender to yellows, cream and white. A distinctive yellow form was named "Iris gormanii" in 1924. Click on the image for links to trekker's own descriptions and photographs. Close the window to return.

June 16, 2006

2005 "Best of Show" Awards

Pacifica irises won four BEST SPECIMEN OF SHOW awards in 2005 Spring Iris shows:

• Mt. Diablo Iris Society - "Native Warrier" by Ryan Grisso.
• Sydney B. Mitchell Iris Society - "Bar Code" by Ryan Grisso.
• Santa Rosa Iris Society - "Sojourner" by Elyse Hill.
• West Bay Iris Society: - I. douglasiana by Garry Knipe.

November 4, 2005

Sunset Magazine Highlights PCIs

Check the May 2005 issue of Sunset for Lauren Bonar Swezey's article "Pacific treasure". You'll find tips on where to find those attractive hybrids, and suggestions on climate, light, planting, water, feeding, and maintenance to help locate and display Pacific Coast irises in your home garden.

May 28, 2005

Pacific Coast Native Iris Workshop

Santa Rosa's chapter of the California Native Plant Society divides and pots native iris and PCI hybrids for its 2005 fund raising plant sale. Click on the photo to see more. Close window to return.

December 12, 2004

Iris munzii Trek - Spring 2004

On April 25, 43 visitors attended a one-day Trek to a closed area of Sequoia National Park, home to a unique stand of Iris munzii. Click on the photo to see how it went. Close window to return.

May 22, 2004

New book on PCI garden iris

A new University of California Press book, Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses; Gardening with California Monocots, has practical gardening adivce on nine Pacifica iris species and a like number of hybrid PCIs. Click on the photo to learn more. Close window to return.

May 26, 2004

Pacifica Iris in the News

Some newspaper articles are so well researched and written that they deserve a better ending than the bottom of the birdcage. When you see one, let us know, and we'll try to post a longer-life copy here.     [Index of Online PCI Articles].

November 4, 2005

Two New Online Iris Photo Sites

Dennis Kramb of SIGNA (Species Iris Group of North America) is developing a new Photo-based database of wild iris species. At this time, it includes 21 photographs of 11 Pacifica iris species. Many of the most outstanding photos were taken by Ken Walker.

Mary Sue Ittner is gathering an outstanding series of Pacifica iris photos for the Pacific Bulb Society web site. Several were taken by Bob Rutemoeller.

Updated May 22, 2004

Calsibe Irises.

Pacifica irises may have evolved from Siberian irises isolated in the New World during the Ice Ages. Thomas and Christina Tamberg in Germany have had remarkable success growing Calsibe hybrids (diploid and tetraploid) of these two ancient relatives.   Click on the photo to visit their web site. Close window to return.

July 1, 2003

Sierra Iris subspecies. Are they real?

    Erin Riggs studied local populations identified as distinct subspecies of Iris hartwegii, for her graduate degree thesis at Portland State University. Her report appeared in the Spring 2003 issue of SIGNA, the journal of the Species Iris Group of North America.

The article opens in a new window. Close window to return.

April 12, 2003

Seed Collection - Legal & Ethical Reminder

    A letter from Carol Bornstein, of the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, reminds members to check state and federal status before collecting seed from wild plants. Some iris species are listed as rare and endangered. Collecting seed from plants growing on public lands requires a permit.

The letter opens in a new window. Close window to return.

August 3, 2002

Gallery of Lee Lenz's Iris munzii-derived hybrids

    Dr. Lee Lenz introduced more than a dozen hybrids based on the species he named Iris munzii. Many show shades of blue rarely found in the Pacifica irises. Newly available photographs from the Robert P. Hubley collection give us an idea of the beauty of these introductions. (Richard Richard's report on I. munzii's wild populations is in the Fall 2001 Almanac.)

Click the photo to see the Lenz gallery in a new window. Close window to return.

Rick Tasco and Roger Duncan sent these photos of PCI and PCI hybrids in bloom at the Superstition Iris Gardens in Cathey's Valley, California. (Click photo to enlarge in new window. Close window to return.)

Canyon Snow	Chimes	Clarice Richards	Idylwild	Mendo- cino Blue	Susie   Knapp	Up All Night

Douglas iris places first in Dallas

Ginger McCausey sent a photo of her blue ribbon winning Iris douglasiana exhibited at the Iris Society of Dallas show on April 22. (Click photo to enlarge in new window. Close window to return.)

Updated: 1 March, 2007
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