Most plants produce seeds that can be planted. The new plants grown from the seed will be the same kind of plant, but they will not necessarily have the same characteristics. These differences are determined by genetics, much like a child will not have the same hair color, eye color, height, etc., as his/her parents. Iris plants are sold at nurseries or shared among gardening friends as "rhizomes." A rhizome is part of the root system and the plants that grow from them will have exactly the same characteristics as the original plant. There are many varieties on the market with large, gorgeous, colorful flowers. If your iris is one of these, chances are the offspring grown from seed will be disappointing - or at least quite different from the parent plant. Plant the seeds, if you wish. However, if you don't intend to harvest and replant seeds of your iris or any other flowers in your garden, you should make it a practice to "deadhead" plants throughout the growing season. Deadheading is the practice of removing the seedpods as soon as a flower is past its prime. Doing so will cause the plant to expend its energy more productively. Annuals will produce more flowers if deadheaded. Perennials, such as iris, will be able to store more energy in their roots for next year, producing bigger and more flowers next season. Read all about growing iris at: Growing Iris

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