Do Iris Buds Bloom Placed into a Vase?

(Question)

I’ve attached a photo of some buds from my Irises, which bloom quickly and are gone for the season.
Would these buds, if placed in a vase, as I intend to gift them, open, and bloom in a vase with water only? Or do they just wither away or stay the same, when separated from their place in the ground?
The blooming period is so short that they catch me by surprise and are gone before I know it.
This year I want to plan around that short period to gift some, except I can’t remember if they actually bloom in the vase? Mother nature seems to have some really sunny weather in west end Toronto.
They would be a nice surprise if they could bloom, for those who aren’t spoiled with their annual spectacular purple blooms in a yard.

 

(Answer)

Most Iris will indeed bloom after they are cut and you will have greater success if you follow the instructions below:

  1. Cut iris stalks when flower buds show colour but are not yet open.  Cuts should be made where the stem starts to turn green below the buds.
  2. Cuttings should be taken early in the morning.
  3. Bring a bucket of water into the garden so that cut stems can be immediately placed into water after cutting.
  4. Use a very sharp cutting tool.
  5. Indoors, fill a large opening vase with cold water and add flower preservative – vase should be slightly taller than half of the iris height you want.
  6. Remove each flower stalk individually from the bucket and quickly make a cut at a 45 degree angle at your determined height.
  7. Immediately, put this stalk into your vase – ideally cutting should be done under water but this is sometimes not practical, minimizing the time each iris stalk is exposed to air is vital to success.

Good luck.