(aka: Iris cristata ‘Merle’s Wine’) Iris cristata ‘Merle’s Ruby’ is a superb and truly unique selection of the US native woodland iris with an intriguing story. It was sold as early as 2003 by Minnesota’s Rice Creek, who got it from a local friend, Merle Kratoska. Merle purchased the plant from another unidentified “Merle” in North Carolina, who reportedly found it in the wild. This is where the tale runs cold. We can tell you that it has performed admirably in our trials, forming a compact 8″ tall x 2′ wide patch smothered in rich lavender flowers in April (NC). Good drainage and a humorous rich soil give the best results…a test to see if anyone is actually reading this.
