Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Walking iris

I normally don't pay a lot of attention to indoor plants, but a dancing iris (or walking iris, Neomarica gracilis) given to me by a friend has bloomed away this winter and spring.

It's a lovely member of the Iris family native to Brazil, and hardy only to about zone 8 outside, but is a very adaptable houseplant.

Each flower lasts less than a day, but has intricate markings, and is delicately borne at the end of stems. It's easy to propagate from the young offshoots that appear at the end of stems after flowering, so there are always plants to share.