At any rate, the iris beds lie in isolated and scattered spots about the ba¬ 
you headlands near New Orleans and Algiers. Several thousand specimens of 
the mammoth irises have been taken to the New York Botanical Garden, 
where a thorough study is being made there, as well as at our plant, for pur¬ 
poses of hybridization and propagation. Much to the surprise of the botanists, 
the transplanted specimens have suffered no serious ill effects from the cli¬ 
matic change. There are small plantations of Louisiana transplanted irises 
thriving in Maryland, New Jersey and other parts of New York. Still smaller 
plantations are located in private reservations in other states, especially in 
California, where shipments have been made recently to Los Angeles, San 
Francisco, San Jose and other California sections, where they are growing 
these wonderful plants with success. Specimens are now growing in England, 
France, in Asia, Australia and in other parts of the Old World. So the fact of 
the Louisiana iris taking root and continuing its beautiful existence in other 
parts of the world seems well established. 
In view of these facts, the Lower Mississippi Delta natural iris field con¬ 
stitutes the one most spectacular botanical and horticultural discovery in 
North America from the standpoint of a single genus within such a limited 
area. Aside from its magnitude, the outstanding points are the colonies of 
species, the great range and combination of colors, and the unusual size of the 
plants. Flowering stalks six feet tall are not unusual. Stalks seven feet high 
have been found. In such cases a six-foot man has to look up in order to see 
the flowers. 
One of the blocks of wild irises lined out in our nursery. From these stands, colors will be 
separated and seeds collected. 
LOUISIANA WILD NATIVE IRIS 
