Jessi wrote:

Bought some black irises from Walmart last night and the clerk told me that
her black irises only stayed black one year? What does this mean and what
can I do to keep my irises black? Thanks!

First of all, I never, NEVER buy plants from a hardware store,
lumber yard, or department store.

What is the name of the variety? (If you bought them from a plant
nursery, they would be labeled with a recognized variety name or
at least sold from a bin with the name on it.) I have a bearded
iris called "Study in Midnight" that is so dark a purple that,
even close up except in bright light, it looks black. It has been
"black" for possibly 10 years or more in my garden.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 19 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/