Using Species in MDB Breeding, Part 2: Iris aphylla x Iris pumila

 by Tom Waters

This is the second of three posts on my experimenting with various species in breeding miniature dwarf bearded (MDB) irises. Here’s a quick recap: Most MDBs today are small selections created when breeding standard dwarf bearded (SDB) irises. I think there is value in creating a line of true-breeding MDBs: fertile plants that are MDB-sized and consistently produce MDB-sized offspring. Ideally, such a line would be compatible with SDBs (and MDBs from SDB breeding), so one could use all the wonderfully developed modern MDB and SDB cultivars.

Certain dwarf species and combinations of species are compatible with SDBs in terms of their chromosome configuration. One such species is Iris lutescens, and in part 1 I described my work with this species to date. In this post, I look at hybrids from I. aphylla x I. pumila and their usefulness in MDB breeding.

I. aphylla crossed with I. pumila produces fertile hybrids having a chromosome configuration that is compatible with SDBs. The MDB ‘Velvet Toy’ (Dunbar, 1972) is an early example of such a hybrid. We might also include Ben Hager’s MDBs from his aphylla-derived MTBs crossed with I. pumila as another variation on this basic type, although the MTBs have tall bearded and border bearded ancestry as well as I. aphylla.

S006-01
 I. aphylla x I. pumila

My own aphylla x pumila seedling, S006-01, is an interesting little plant. The flowers are purple and not particularly distinctive, but the plant is quite small, at around five inches in height. It also has a unique branching pattern. It has basal branching inherited from I. aphylla. The branch and the main stem are of equal height, and each is topped with a double-budded socket. The four buds open successively, so there is only one flower open at a time. This seems to me a very desirable trait to introduce into MDBs, but so far none of its seedlings have inherited it.

I have bloomed a number of seedlings from SDB ‘Eye of theTiger’ (Black, 2008) X S006-01. They were a carnival of different colors and patterns, but unfortunately, none had the daintiness I was looking for. This spring, seven years after I made the cross, a straggler bloomed that seems genuinely small and MDB-sized. I will keep an eye on it in coming seasons.

S028-44
Eye of the Tiger X S006-01

Realizing that I probably should be crossing this seedling with small MDBs rather than SDBs, I used ‘Dollop of Cream’ (Black, 2006) and ‘Icon’ (Keppel, 2008) for the next round.

The ‘Dollop of Cream’ seedlings had fairly nice form, some blue, some white. They bloomed near the boundary of the MDB and SDB classes, but I am hoping they may settle out on the smaller side when grown in normal garden conditions. I kept a blue one with small flowers to evaluate further.

Seedlings from 'Dollop of Cream' X S006-01

The ‘Icon’ seedlings are more exciting color-wise, in various shades of orchid with deeply saturated spot patterns and dark blue beards. I describe the color as “juicy”. Sadly, they produced hardly any pollen, and I couldn’t really test them as pod parents because they bloom earlier than anything else except the pure I. pumilas. I did get a scant 8 seeds from sib-crossing two of them, so we shall see. Again, height is rather marginal, near the boundary between MDBs and SDBs. I’m keeping them all in hopes that they may produce more pollen in the future.

Icon X S006-01

I do believe my I. aphylla x I. pumila seedling has the potential to bring me toward my goal of a line of true-breeding MDBs. I have seeds from it crossed with ‘Self Evident’ (Hager, 1997) and ‘Miniseries’ (Keppel, 2011).  And it will also be interesting to take this one more generation further and see what emerges.

Using Species in MDB Breeding, Part 1: Iris lutescens

by Tom Waters

I’m a hobby hybridizer, working on a very small scale (I can only raise about 200 seedlings each year). So from the outset, I planned to focus on niche projects, rather than trying to compete with the large-scale hybridizers and their well-established breeding lines. I identified some projects that I thought might have value, but that few others were working on. One of these is to develop a line of true-breeding miniature dwarf bearded (MDB) irises.

As I’ve written previously, most MDBs produced today are small selections from standard dwarf bearded (SDB) breeding. Because the lines of the top SDB hybridizers are so advanced, this approach indeed produces many fine MDBs that display all the variety of color and refinement of form found in the modern SDBs. With a few exceptions, however, hybridizers do not have dedicated lines aimed specifically at producing MDBs. Rather, they select them from among their SDB seedlings that happen to fall below the height limit separating the two classes. Since these plants are genetically no different from SDBs, they are likely to produce SDB-sized seedlings, and some are prone to growing out of class, showing foliage and stalks out of proportion to their size, or having flowers that are too large and coarse.

In earlier times, most MDBs were produced by crossing SDBs with the species Iris pumila, which indeed produced smaller, daintier plants than those from pure SDB breeding. Unfortunately, these plants are unbalanced tetraploids with limited fertility, making them dead-ends.

If one is seeking a true-breeding line of MDBs, there are several options. One is to start with the SDBs and keep selecting for smaller size. Another option is that promoted by Ben Hager: cross tetraploid MTBs with I. pumila, then cross those seedlings with small SDBs or MDBs from SDB breeding. The idea here is that the MTB X pumila crosses will produce genetically smaller plants, and the genes for small size can be stabilized in the breeding line.

A third approach, which I have been exploring, is to expand the gene pool by using species (or combinations of species) that are small in size but belong to the same fertile family as the SDBs. This not only has the potential of creating a line of true-breeding MDBs, but also increases genetic diversity, which may give more variety of forms and colors. This is the first of a series of posts on this project, focused specifically on my hybridizing with I. lutescens and its close relations.

I. lutescens is a dwarf species found in the Mediterranean lands of southwestern Europe, particularly Spain, France, and Italy. There are many related but different populations in this range, which are sometimes given species status, but more often treated as synonyms of I. lutescens. I. subbiflora in Portugal and I. bicapitata in Italy, are almost always treated as separate species, but are part of the same continuum of types found in I. lutescens. Before the 1950s, most dwarf irises found in gardens in western Europe and North American were forms or hybrids of I. lutescens. After the first SDBs were produced, hybridizers quickly abandoned the older I. lutescens dwarfs in favor of the SDBs, which showed wider color possibilities and improved form.

Given this history, I did not at first think of using I. lutescens in my own hybridizing projects. On reflection, however, it seemed that those hybridizers of the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s were excited about exploring the potential of the new SDBs, and not really concerned with creating true-breeding MDB lines. I. lutescens might indeed still have something to offer toward that goal. In nature, its forms span the MDB and SDB height ranges, and flowers are smaller than those of typical SDBs.

S004-01,
I. subbiflora ex Spain
(SIGNA seed)

 

S019-01,
I. lutescens (SRGC seed)

Early on, I grew a plant of I. subbiflora obtained from the SIGNA seed exchange, collected in Spain. Apparently this raises some doubts about its identification, as there is some question whether there are populations of I. subbiflora in Spain, or only I. lutescens. My plant is not as tall as most descriptions and photographs of I. subbiflora, normally being about nine inches in my garden.

Crossing the subbiflora with SDB ‘Kaching’ (Black, 2009) produced a lot of deep red seedlings, mostly of small SDB size, although height varied from year to year and with location in the garden. Although I enjoyed these seedlings, they were larger than what I was aiming for; so I made an effort to use MDBs, rather than SDBs, in future crosses, and to seek out small plants of I. lutescens to use instead of this I. subbiflora. A cross of I. subbiflora with MDB ‘Circa’ (Johnson, 2015) produced attractive plants near the MDB height limit, but still not as small and delicate as I would like.

S027-07,
'Kaching' X S004-01

 

S044-04,
'Circa' X S004-01

I raised a small purple I. lutescens from seed from the Scottish Rock Garden Club (SRGC) seed exchange. It’s about half the size of the I. subbiflora plant. Crossing this with MDB ‘Miniseries’ (Keppel, 2011) gave me a couple promising seedlings: one with small reddish flowers have rather tall stems; the other has mid-sized purplish flowers on shorter stems. I’d be happier if I’d gotten the small reddish flowers on the small stems! But these are interesting, and I will continue working with them.

S039-02,
S019-01 X 'Miniseries'

 

S039-03,
S019-01 X 'Miniseries'

I also crossed the SRGC I. lutescens with MDB ‘Pearly Whites’ (Black, 2014) and MDB ‘Beetlejuice’ (Black, 2013); and a number of these seedlings bloomed this spring. They were all interesting to look at, mostly nicer in form than expected. It’s too early to be sure what height they will settle out at, but this year most of them looked more like small SDBs than like MDBs.

S055-05,
'Beetlejuice' X S019-01

  

S055-11,
'Beetlejuice' X S019-01

S056-01,
'Pearly Whites' X S019-01

I acquired some other small lutescens plants to work with: one from the Berkeley Botanical Garden, and one from Sean Zera, raised from SIGNA seed. I have not yet bloomed seedlings from these. I keep acquiring more I. lutescens seeds, hoping to expand my collection, particularly in colors other than purple. I. lutescens grows here, but doesn’t seem really happy. My high desert zone 5/6 garden in New Mexico is a long way from the south of France.

I am enjoying working with species in MDB breeding, but it must be emphasized that this is a long-term project. Any use of species in breeding must be followed up with several generations of crossing back to modern hybrids if one wishes to meet current expectations of width, ruffling, and substance. It appears that some persistence will be needed to combine the genes for short stems, small flowers, and narrow foliage in the same line. Still, I’m finding these explorations to be a very satisfying use of my small space and limited resources.

68-110 : (Ponderosa X New Moon) or the summit of the art

By Sylvain Ruaud

A perfume creator first imagines a new fragrance and then gathers the ingredients he will use. Next, he formulates the subtle mixtures that will constitute his latest creation. When creating new irises, hybridizer Joe Ghio must proceed similarly. 

No doubt he has in his head - but also in his documentation - all the elements of a formidable "gene pool" gathered over his long career in iris hybridizing. Joe knows what each piece can bring, and he visualizes what he hopes to obtain from each cross. No doubt he sometimes fails, for nature preserves its mysteries and knows how to mete out its surprises. But these failures are obviously not known to us. We only see, with admiration, the successes that a hybridizer achieves. Each year there are a handful of them, which makes the gardener in each of us ecstatic. Practiced with such mastery, hybridization is no longer the exercise of curiosity or leisure but the expression of applied science.

Among all the vials that this alchemist manipulates, there is one that appears many times in the complex pedigrees that often accompany the descriptions of his novelties: it is (Ponderosa X New Moon). In Joe Ghio's crypto-catalog, it appears with numbers 68-110. It is divided into many "bottles" identified by a distinctive letter, and there must be at least twenty of them, each corresponding to a plant whose colors and characteristics are known only to its breeder (and perhaps to a few friendly insiders).

Let's get to know each of the elements of this mystical cross.

'Ponderosa'
Photo by Joe Ghio

'Ponderosa' (Ghio, 1970) = (Denver Mint X Moon River) is a flower that does not necessarily attract attention. It is described as "petals pinkish brown; sepals a mixture of brown, purple and red; beards yellowish brown." Ghio would tell us the qualities he finds in it because he is confident it must not lack any! He crossed it with many varieties, very varied in appearance but mainly in shades of yellow or apricot: 'Travel On,' 'Gracie Pfost' (the only one that is red), 'Debby Rairdon,' 'Honey Rae,' 'Orange Chariot,' 'Ghost Story,' 'Saffron Robe,' 'Peace Offering,' and 'Opening Round'.

'New Moon'
Photo by Heather Haley

'New Moon' (Sexton, 1968) = (Moon River X New Frontier) is universally known. It is a bright yellow from yellow and pink. "Unicolor lemon yellow, lemon-yellow beards," describes the AIS checklist. It has been used extensively in hybridization in all parts of the world for many years. Joe Ghio was one of those who used it the most over several generations.

The cross (Ponderosa X New Moon) is one of the essential elements of Joe Ghio's palette. It is found in several combinations, of which the following one, which has been used very frequently and which is listed, if I am not mistaken, under the number 71-147P : ((((Commentary x Claudia Rene) x Claudia Rene) x Ponderosa) x (Ponderosa x New Moon)). Here is a variety whose genealogy extends over four generations. We notice a first crossing at the beginning: (Commentary x Claudia Rene). Then the product of this crossing is crossed again with 'Claudia Rene.' In the next generation, a new element is added; this time, it is 'Ponderosa'. Finally, the product of this last crossing is paired with an unnamed variety but noted under the number 68-110 and written (Ponderosa x New Moon). 

This kind of combination, which becomes more complicated with time, is classic for Joe Ghio because, to use our example, 71-147P was later married several times. This is how one thing leads to another; we arrive at 88-129R2, where we reach the eleventh generation since our 68-110, twenty years earlier. And since 1988, a lot has happened, and there have been many crosses!

Over the years, the pedigrees become longer and more complex because Ghio does not bother to register - and therefore to name - all the seedlings he finds exciting and keeps. Where some registrants are satisfied providing two names joined by an X, Ghio lists the different components of each member of the cross, sometimes in the form of a simple seedling number, sometimes with the designation of the varieties used. Is this a strategy? 

Indeed, not describing (nor photographing) a seedling preserves to this one a part of the mystery, which is voluntary. It is a way to keep a secret of manufacture! This also has the advantage of detailing the path of the breeder toward the registered variety. On the other hand, it has the disadvantage of giving a long list, not easy to decipher. And it is at this point that we realize the finesse of Joe Ghio's work: we follow the evolution of his thought, we note the touches of this or that color or this or that horticultural quality added (or subtracted) to reach the goal he has set.

It is the work of a great man. Only a few can master many parameters, maybe three or four. If we can compare them to great perfumers, we could draw a parallel with composers like Mozart, Wagner, or Mahler. At this degree of perfection, hybridization is no longer a game but an exceptional science and art.

How to Create a New Iris

by Bob Pries

It is the holiday season and I am wrapping up one last iris gift. This one is very special for me because it was more than 30 years in the making. It comprises a passion for iris that has persisted all that time. Now that I am putting my garden to bed for the winter it seems a perfect time to bring out my dreams of what might happen in the future and reflect on the past.

 

I am talking about a webinar I am about to give for the American Iris Society on December 14. Members probably have already received the announcement in “News & Notes” but it is never too late to join.  Of course, if you are not passionate about irises this will be no better than another fruitcake. But hopefully, I can inspire one person to make an unusual cross.

Thirty years ago I chaired the committee that proposed the classification Spec-X for iris species crosses. Looking back, that proposal has turned into a remarkable success. While inquisitive hybridizers have always tried such experimental crosses, the awards system can now reward their efforts with deserved recognition. Today interspecies irises can earn the Randolph-Perry Medal, which is named in honor of Dr. L. F. Randolph (1894-1980) and Amos Perry (1871-1953). 

Preparing the webinar was like visiting all my iris heroes. There were many who have gone where no one went before. Acknowledging all those who have sent garden irises down new paths would be impossible. Hopefully, I won’t overwhelm my audience with too much information but have some tricks involving the Iris Encyclopedia that may help me cover everything.

My study of hybridizing has unearthed some “secrets” that every beginner should know. And in some ways, the webinar may be a primer for the new hybridizer. My title for the presentation is ‘How to Create a New Iris’. By "new" I mean truly new. Something that hasn’t existed before! My cover slide at the top of this blog shows a species I grew and flowered many years ago, Iris timofejewii. Notice the unique architectural carriage of its standards and falls that is also reflected in its leaves. To me, this is a classic work of art.

Species iris Iris timofejewii
photo by Bob Pries

Even if you are not interested in hybridizing you may enjoy seeing some of the more unusual forms/shapes/colors that are possible in the genus Iris.  I like to think out of the box and hope to show many perspectives that are not commonly recognized.  Here are a few exciting progeny from species crosses.

Species iris hybrid 'Roy Davidson'
photo by Lorena Reid


Species iris 'Mysterious Monique' 
photo by Ensata Gardens

Species iris 'Starry Bohdi'
photo by Wenji Xu

Species iris cross 'Nada'
photo by Paul Black

A New Iris Season is Just Beginning

by Mel and Bailey Schiller

 Season 2022/2023 is upon us! 

Our family has been frantically getting the field cleaned and the gardens ready in preparation for hosting open garden weekends here at Smokin Heights throughout October. Over the past couple of days, we were finally seeing some sunshine; but the weather forecast is for more rain in the coming week. 

Our new imported irises are settling in nicely, and we are not concerned about them blooming this year.  We would rather see rhizome increase as plants adjust to their new surroundings. 

We finished replanting irises just after Easter this year, which is very early for us. Taking this into account, we believe our season is running two to three weeks behind. Winter has been cold, wet, and windy . . . much like our Oregon iris family experienced last season. As winter drags on, we haven’t experienced as many warm days as we normally have in years past. However, daylight savings time begins today and with it has come beautiful sunshine.

Iris fields at Smokin Heights

Bloom started with our standard dwarf bearded irises. Intermediates and arilbreds with some very early tall bearded irises are blooming also.

Seedling H98-2

Seedling F5-3

New import 'Royal Flame' (Tasco 2021, AB/OGB) 

Just looking at the downloads from our camera we have already taken well over 500 photographs. We are well and truly into hybridizing with around 50 crosses completed already! 

A new iris season brings new hope of better times ahead. Last week was the one-year anniversary of the loss of our son and brother Braiden. Every iris season is going to be marked by Braiden's loss. 

Grief really is a huge burden to carry.  The irises give us a focus and something to work towards. When bloom is happening we are running around with our pencils, tweezers, and labels plus the camera. Spreading iris love where ever we go!!

Seedling G-3

                                                                          

Seedling I4-A

                                                                

Closeup of Seedling H98-2

Seedling H2-1

Seedling H5-A

                                                                                

Seedling H7-1

Seedling C91-2

Our fields have a lot of fun iris and we are enjoying hybridizing with them. One thing we have noticed is that our hybridizing goals change each season. As the different seedlings emerge, our minds wander to more far-off goals. Each bloom keeps us driven for success and focused on achieving the very best in irises we produce. 

If you would like to keep up to date with what is blooming at Smokin Heights please follow us on our Facebook page! 

We hope that our overseas followers enjoy our bloom pictures from Down Under. We hope the winter months are kind to you all and before you know it spring will be knocking on your door!

Stay warm.

Season 2021 at Smokin Heights

By Mel and Bailey Schiller

This spring was long and drawn-out, for which we are very thankful. At the end of September we lost our son and brother to a tragic motorbike accident, and this affected our iris season dramatically. The situation made it difficult for us to focus, but we are doing our best with what we have been dealt. 

The late-blooming varieties are now in bloom, which for us is a month later than normal. It has been incredibly hard to focus on getting photos of the seedlings, let alone the remainder of the iris fields. Some days are easier than others. 

We had a lot of rain this year, probably triple what we normally would experience in October and November. Bailey informed me yesterday that for a couple of my pods that had set, the stem was rotting. This has never happened before. Normally it is dry and incredibly hot in October and November; but this week, in December, we are experiencing hot days, which would have been the norm  a month ago.

Last year Mel and Bailey planted around 8000 maiden bloom seedlings. Most of these came from Barry Blyth. We also have around 1000 2nd year seedlings which we needed to go through, as these were the last crosses we made during our visit to Oregon back in 2019. Add to those the many seedlings we have grown and need to evaluate for introduction.  

Bailey is hybridizing for novelties. Mel is hybridizing arils and working on blacks. These are our main goals -  the beautiful irises that pop up in the meantime are bonuses. 

F106-1: ('Inner Darkness' X 'Black Lipstick'). This has beautiful blocky falls and a spicy fragrance. The color holds up in our heat and it doesn't wilt quickly. The foliage is lovely and clean. 

This gorgeous arilbred seedling ('Soaring Falcon' x 'Onlooker') had four rhizomes and all four, unfortunately, bloomed. I fell in love with this seedling immediately on first sight. I left the rhizomes in the ground hoping and praying for new growth, but it does not look promising. 

H172-1: ('Lancer' x 'Eye On America') AB. Huge blooms on strong stems make this AB a standout. We love it! Heading for intro....

Bailey's novelties have really taken off this season. So many awesome color combinations on plants with variegated foliage. Then the drumroll: the six-falled TB varieties he has been diligently working on. Here is a small sample of what is happening at Smokin Heights:

H27-B: ('Chaos Theory' X 'Full Disclosure'). 'Full Disclosure' has been a very good parent for six-falled TBs, but unfortunately it doesn't give much variety color-wise. Although this seedling isn't the most interesting color, it does have exceptional form.

H17-D: ('Untamed Glory' X 'Full Disclosure'). A little boring color-wise but very consistent with nice branching. It should be good to use further in hybridizing.

H14-A: ('Chaos Theory' X 'Fiasco') This is one of very many seedlings selected from this cross. This one stood out because of the nice pattern and overall good plant habits. We really like the look of the "belly" stripe down the falls. 

F58-ZZ: (X150-A: 'Painted Caravans' sib X 'Bold Pattern').The favorite of the bunch just because of the pattern. You can see from the photo that this seedling has nice branching and bud placement. 

The seedlings have finished blooming and we are still labelling photos from this past season. We can now begin the task of digging rhizome orders while the seed pods ripen. Over Christmas time we will begin removing unfavourable seedlings. 

Bailey and I sincerely wish you all a Merry Christmas. May you enjoy your Christmas time with loved ones. Remember it's not the presents under the Christmas tree that count, it is having those who you value most with you. Warm wishes from Down Under. 

Ben Hager’s Master Plan to Save the MDB Class

 by Tom Waters

Forty-some years ago, when I was a precocious iris-obsessed teenager, I convinced my mother that our vacation to California to visit my sister and her family should become a tour of iris hybridizers’ gardens. So it happened that I ended up in Ben Hager’s living room, with a huge bouquet of ‘Beverly Sills’ on the coffee table, talking irises while my mom and sister politely enjoyed the ambience and hospitality.

Hager presented a somewhat intimidating figure, with his bald head, precise beard, and dry wit. He was also something of an iconoclast. At an after-dinner speech at the 1980 American Iris Society convention in Tulsa, he basically dismantled the whole premise of the judges’ training program by asserting that judging irises was an utterly subjective undertaking; and we should give up our pretensions of authority and just let people like what they like, which is what we all do anyway.

As a hybridizer, Hager had few equals, in my estimation. He worked with all classes of irises, and won high awards wherever he turned his attention. He created the tetraploid miniature tall bearded (MTB) irises almost single-handedly, by sheer force of will, it seemed. Furthermore, he had a rare combination of creative, inspired vision coupled with solid knowledge, dogged persistence, and patience. I rank him along with Sir Michael Foster and Paul Cook as one of the true ground-breakers in the history of iris development.

Today, I want to talk about one of Hager’s grand projects, an effort to re-create the miniature dwarf bearded (MDB) class, a work that spanned four decades.

In the 1970s, new MDBs were created by hybridizers combining standard dwarf bearded (SDB) with the species Iris pumila in various combinations. There were basically three possibilities: pure pumila breeding, pure SDB breeding, and SDB x pumila crosses.

Hager rejected pure pumila breeding (although he did introduce one, ‘Ceremony’, in 1986) for two reasons. First, being just a single species, it lacked the genetic variety needed to get the innovative colors, patterns, and forms that hybridizers crave. Second, he found its growth habit (mats covered in bloom, like rock-garden plants) to interfere with the appreciation of the form of the individual iris bloom.

Hager also rejected the SDB x pumila route, although it was very popular with other MDB hybridizers of the time. The issue here was poor fertility. Seedlings from this type of cross show only limited fertility, and are almost impossible to cross amongst themselves, making line breeding an impossibility. Hager felt strongly that a class of iris can only be improved and developed if a fertile family can be established, so that breeding can continue for many generations without fertility barriers arising. He introduced no MDBs from this type of breeding.

That left pure SDB breeding as a recipe for creating MDBs. Hager recognized this as the path of greatest promise, but not without reservations. This is the type of breeding with the greatest variety of colors and patterns, and the most adaptable to mild-winter climates. MDB-sized seedlings do arise from SDB x SDB crosses, but they are the exception (most seedlings will be SDBs like their parents). Hager wanted a more focused program than just waiting for these happy accidents. He wanted a line of MDBs that would produce more MDBs, consistently.

He found his answer in his tetraploid MTB work. The tetraploid MTBs were derived from crossing tall bearded (TB) and border bearded (BB) with the species I. aphylla, a many branched iris genetically compatible with TBs, although much smaller. Crossing his tetraploid MTBs with I. pumila, he reasoned, would produce irises of the same chromosome type as the SDBs, but presumably consistently smaller. Furthermore, they would be completely fertile with MDBs from pure SDB breeding, part of the same fertile family. You may read one of Hager's articles on this plan on the DIS website.

'Libation'

'Gizmo'

'Prodigy'

  

Hager introduced the first MDB of this type, ‘Prodigy’, in 1973. Its pod parent is a seedling of TB ‘Evening Storm’ (Lafrenz, 1953) X I. aphylla ‘Thisbe’ (Dykes, 1923). The pollen parent is the I. pumila cultivar ‘Atomic Blue’ (Welch, 1961). It is thus ¼ TB, ¼ aphylla, and ½ pumila.

Next came ‘Libation’ in 1975. It is a child of ‘Prodigy’ crossed with a seedling of MTB ‘Scale Model’ (Hager, 1966) x I. pumila ‘Brownett’ (Roberts, 1957). Since ‘Scale Model’ is half TB and half aphylla, ‘Libation’ has the same ancestry breakdown as ‘Prodigy’: ¼ TB, ¼ aphylla, and ½ pumila. ‘Libation’ won the Caparne-Welch Award in 1979.

The third and final of these initial progenitors of Hager’s MDB line is ‘Gizmo’ (1977), with the same parentage as ‘Libation’.

Hager then set about crossing these (and similar seedlings) with SDBs and MDBs from pure SDB breeding. As such outcrossing progressed, the amount of aphylla ancestry decreased and the amount of TB ancestry increased. The goal was to retain the small size conferred by I. aphylla, but bring in the diverse colors and patterns of the SDBs. Hager now had a line of seedlings specifically designed to consistently yield fertile MDBs in each generation.

In all, this project produced 34 MDB introductions. Hager died in 1999, but Adamgrove garden continued to introduce his MDB seedlings through 2003. Hager also introduced 19 MDBs from pure SDB breeding, and the above-mentioned pumila ‘Ceremony’.

Here is a list of all 34, grouped by the amount of aphylla ancestry present in each.

25% I. aphylla

Prodigy (1973), Libation (1975) Caparne-Welch Award 1979, Gizmo (1977) Caparne-Welch Medal 1987

Between 12% and 24% I. aphylla

Grey Pearls (1979), Bluetween (1980), Macumba (1988)

Between 6% and 11% I. aphylla

Footlights (1980), Bitsy (1991), Cute Tot (1999)

Between 4% and 5% I. aphylla

Pipit (1993), Jiffy (1995), Self Evident (1997)

3% or less I. aphylla

Three Cherries (1971), although not part of this line, is listed here for completeness, since it has aphylla in its ancestry from the appearance of TB ‘Sable’ (Cook, 1938) in its pedigree.

Petty Cash (1980), Hot Foot (1982), Bugsy (1993) Caparne-Welch Medal 2000, Dainty Morsel (1994), Doozey (1994), Fey (1994), Fragment (1995), Hint (1995), Chaste (1997), Ivory Buttons (1997), Nestling (1997), Trifle (1997), Simple Enough (1998), Small Thing (R. 1998), Sweet Tooth (1999), Wee Me (1999), In Touch (R. 1999), Downsized (2001), Dulcet (2001), Pattycake Baker Man (2001), Behold Titania (2003), Fair Moon (2003), Gallant Youth (2003), Into the Woods (2003), Pirate's Apprentice (2003)

'Grey Pearls'
photo: El Hutchison

As far as I can determine, other hybridizers did not take up this project as Hager had envisioned it, although they did of course use a number of his irises in their own crosses. My own work with similar crosses has had mixed results. I cross tetraploid MTBs with pumila each year, but so far have only bloomed one cross to evaluate, MTB ‘Tic Tac Toe’ (Johnson, 2010) X I. pumila ‘Wild Whispers’ (Coleman, 2012). The seedlings were all too large for the MDB class, looking like elongated SDBs or MTBs with deficient bud count. So the MTB x pumila type of cross is by no means guaranteed to give MDBs in the first generation.

I do have an interesting MDB seedling from I. aphylla X I. pumila. This type of cross produced MDB ‘Velvet Toy’ (Dunbar, 1972). My seedling is 5-6 inches in height, and has a distinctive flowering habit. It is branched at the base like I. aphylla, with both branches bearing 2 terminal buds each. The four blooms open in succession, at the same height, with no crowding. It would be nice to see if this trait could be carried on to plants with a more refined flower. Crossing it with SDB ‘Eye of the Tiger’ (Black, 2008) gave seedlings that were SDB size or taller, though in a fun variety of color and pattern. I continue to make crosses with it, mostly selecting smaller MDBs to pair with it now.

So far, my work with I.reichenbachii X I. pumila seems the most promising in terms of giving me a consistent MDB line to work with.

Kevin Vaughn has reported good results using Hager’s ‘Self Evident’, and I have recently acquired this myself, as well as a few others from Hager’s line.

How should one assess this ambitious program? On some level, it can surely be deemed a success, as it gave Hager many successful and popular MDB introductions. Without detailed records from his seedling patch, however, it is hard to assess how consistent the line was or how much his selection work over the years contributed to the outcome. Perhaps similar results would have obtained just by applying the same selection effort to pure SDB lines.

'Self Evident'
photo: Jeanette Graham

We also have to note that Hager’s tetraploid MTB project is his most lasting legacy among the bearded irises classes. Tetraploid MTBs are here to stay, having been taken up by successive generations of hybridizers. The MDB project did not fare so well, although that may not be any fault of the plants themselves. Almost all new MDBs today are small selections from pure SDB breeding, not produced from MDB-specific lines as Hager envisioned. This may just be a numerical inevitability. There is so much work being done breeding SDBs that MDBs popping up in SDB seedling patches just can’t help but outnumber MDBs from the few dedicated lines that hybridizers have worked with. The situation is reminiscent of that of the BBs, where some good dedicated lines have been established, but they are still swamped by small selections from TB crosses, just because so many more TB crosses are made each year.

'Bugsy'
photo: El Hutchison

If you are interested in hybridizing MDBs, I encourage you to heed Hager’s wisdom and work toward MDB-specific breeding lines, perhaps using I. aphylla, perhaps carefully selected from SDB work, or perhaps using other species.

If you are not a hybridizer, but enjoy growing MDBs in your garden, please seek out and preserve the Hager MDBs discussed in this post. They are a window onto a fascinating thread of iris history.

 

 

The Classic MDBs

 by  Tom Waters

The world of dwarf and median irises was revolutionized in the 1950s when Paul Cook and Geddes Douglas crossed the dwarf species Iris pumila with tall bearded irises (TBs) to create what became known as standard dwarf bearded irises (SDBs). The new SDBs were not only lovely, varied, and useful garden plants in their own right; but they were fertile parents, leading to all sorts of new avenues for hybridizers.

Hybridizers soon tried crossing the SDBs back to both of the parent types, TBs and I. pumila. Crossing SDBs with TBs produced a whole new style of intermediate bearded irises (IBs), whereas crossing SDBs with I. pumila produced a new style of miniature dwarf bearded irises (MDBs).

'Bee Wings'
photo: El Hutchison

By ancestry, these new MDBs were 1/4 TB and 3/4 I. pumila. From I. pumila, they inherit daintiness, earliness of bloom, and floriferousness. The TB ancestry lends them a greater variety of color and pattern, and a bit more width and polish in flower form. Dwarf breeders and growers were delighted with these creations; and they became quickly popular, all but replacing the earlier dwarfs from I. lutescens breeding in just a decade or so.

'Alpine Lake'
photo: Tom Waters

The first MDB from SDB x I. pumila breeding to win the Caparne-Welch award was Alta Brown's 'Bee Wings' (Brown, 1959), which won the award in 1963.  By 1990, six others from this type of cross won the award. Especially notable among them were 'Zipper' (Sindt, 1978), a deep yellow with a stunning blue-violet beard, and 'Alpine Lake' (Willott, 1980), a soft near-white with a diffuse blue spot. I refer to these as "classic" MDBs, because they set the standard for the class during this time of great progress and interest.

'Zipper'
photo: Jeanette Graham

Another popular type of MDB was produced by crossing SDBs with each other and selecting irises that were small enough to fall under the height limit of the MDB class (currently 8 inches). These had the advantage of showing all the color patterns of TBs, including plicata and tangerine pink. Although both types were popular, hybridizers breeding specifically for MDBs preferred the SDB x I. pumila cross, which produced a much greater proportion of early-blooming, MDB-sized seedlings.

After 1990, the SDB x I. pumila cross gradually fell out of fashion, with most of the new MDBs coming from SDB x SDB breeding. The reason for this is two-fold. First, the SDBs had been steadily progressing in color, pattern, and form; and the classic MDBs from SDB x I. pumila could not really keep up. Second, fewer breeders were breeding specifically for MDBs and growing I. pumila for that purpose. Most breeders were instead working with their established SDB lines, which sometimes produce MDB-sized plants "by accident," as it were. So the SDB x SDB cross would do double duty, producing both SDBs and MDBs.

'Wee Dragons'
photo: Jeanette Graham

Classic MDBs are still being produced, however. My favorite recent one is Lynda Miller's 'Wee Dragons' (Miller, 2017). The recent Caparne-Welch winner 'Kayla's Song' (D. Spoon, 2008) is of complicated ancestry, but its overall appearance makes it likely that it too is 3/4 I. pumila and belongs in this category.

Although it is clear that the MDBs from SDB x SDB breeding will continue to dominate the class with their modern form and exciting color patterns, the classics should not be completely forgotten. The advantages of early bloom and guaranteed dainty size in all gardens should not be set aside too quickly. And since this type of cross is not often made these days, we don't have a very full picture of its potential when modern SDBs are involved.

'Kayla's Song'
photo: Ginny Spoon

Although my own hybridizing interests are focused elsewhere, I make some SDB x I. pumila crosses each year and donate the seeds to the Dwarf Iris Society seed sale, in the hopes of encouraging interest in the classic MDB cross.

If you grow MDBs, keep your eye out for classic MDBs that have I. pumila or one of its cultivars as a parent. They will delight you with their early bloom and daintier looks.