This poor thing is in barely improved adobe soil - can hardly multiply. The withered area between would have disappeared in another year and I'd be tearing out my hair in 3 years trying to figure out identities as they mixed in with neighboring iris.

I had a historic planted where a vine eventually grew over the rhizomes. Of course it would never bloom all covered like that but I had no place to move it so I just let it stay there for 4 years. There were always 3 or 4 fans showing through the vine so I knew it was still alive.

When I dug it out (fall '07), I was shocked to find 3' of rhizome between each fan. I cut those into about 1' sections and planted 2-3 of those together in each place I wanted a clump. No less than 10 fans sprouted from each section last spring. This year I had 4 huge clumps that already need dividing. They were spectacular in bloom though!