In Praise of Regelias

by Tom Waters

The Regelias are a group of irises native to central Asia, their range extending from near the Caspian Sea to the mountainous regions bordering Tibet. Their nearest relatives are the oncocyclus, which are found further west and south from western Iran to the Mediterranean. Regelias and oncocyclus together comprise the aril irises.

First, a few comments on the name "Regelia". The name honors German botanist Eduard August von Regel, who was director of the botanical garden in St. Petersburg, Russia, late in the nineteenth century. Russian plant explorers of that time were very active in central Asia, seeking out new species and bringing them to attention of European botanists and gardeners. The proper pronunciation of the name is thus Reh-GEH-li-a, although most English speakers have taken to using the pronunciation Reh-JEE-li-a instead. The name should be capitalized, since it comes from a personal name. Spell-checking software likes to change the name to "regalia", which refers to Royal trappings, a blunder that one should be alert for.

Regelias are similar to oncocyclus in having a large cream-colored aril attached to the seed, in going completely dormant in summer, and in preferring arid conditions. Whereas oncocyclus iris have only one bloom per stalk, Regelias usually have two. Regelias have beards on the inside of the standards as well as the falls! Whereas many oncocyclus have large globular blooms with prominent signals, Regelias have more svelte, elongated flowers, often with conspicuous veining. The two groups are interfertile, and there are advanced-generation hybrids between them.

There are eight or more species of Regelias. Historically, the three species grown in European and American gardens were the diploid Iris korolkowii and the tetraploids I. stolonifera and Iris hoogiana. More recently, I. afghanica and I. lineata are also sometimes obtainable. W. R. Dykes regarded Iris hoogiana as the most beautiful of all irises, because of its satiny sheen and elegant form.

Iris hoogiana

Iris stolonifera

'Vera' (RH)

There are hybrids between the Regelia species, called Regelia hybrids (RH). Two widely known Regelia hybrids are 'Vera' (uncertain parentage, derived from Iris stolonifera, probably crossed with Iris korolkowii), and 'Bronze Beauty Van Tubergen', a stolonifera/hoogiana hybrid registered by the Aril Society International in 2001, but in commerce since the mid-twentieth century.


All Regelias are adaptable to a wider range of climatic conditions than their oncocyclus relatives. Here in northern New Mexico, mine persist better than daffodils, and get the same care. Cold winters present no problem whatsoever, as they are native to continental mountainous regions. Dampness and humidity in summer can cause problems, as the plants are dormant then and susceptible to rot.

Regeliocycli

'Bronze Beauty Van Tubergen' (RH)

Once it was understood that the Regelias and oncocyclus irises could be crossed readily, hybridizers became interested in such hybrids, mostly as way to breed the Regelia adaptability into the often troublesome oncocycli, which are notoriously particular and difficult to grow in many climates. The firm of Van Tubergen produced a number of regeliocyclus hybrids in the early 20th century, many of which indeed proved quite durable and are still enjoyed today. Most of these were produced by crossing Iris korolkowii with oncocyclus species, and showed both Regelia veining and oncyclus dotting and signals. In current usage, the term "regeliocyclus" (RC) refers to a hybrid with both Regelia and oncocyclus ancestry that is predominantly Regelia in appearance. In practice, regeliocycli are aril hybrids with 1/2 Regelia ancestry or more.

'Dardanus' (Van Tubergen, not registered) (RC)

Regeliabreds

When hybridizing interest in arils blossomed in the 1940s and 1950s, the attention was almost exclusively on the oncocyclus. Regelias were thought of as "poor relations" that were not always welcome at the table. The prevailing opinion at the time was that they might be useful in breeding arilbreds that were easier to grow, or to facilitate breeding oncocyclus with bearded irises, but it was the "onco look" that was the holy grail of arilbred breeders, and signs of Regelia ancestry were frowned upon.

'Stars Over Chicago' (H. Danielson, 1973)

Henry Danielson was among the first to produce and promote arilbreds of purely Regelia ancestry, launching a popular series of regeliabreds with 'Genetic Artist' (H. Danielson, 1972). These regeliabreds (RB) were derived mostly from I. stolonifera and I. hoogiana. Rather than the globular oncocyclus look expected of arilbreds at the time, they tended toward elongated, open form, showing off the often dramatic colors of the insides of the standards. Although I. stolonifera itself tends to brownish and muted violet tones, its arilbred descendants often combine gold or yellow color with lavender or electric blue flushes in the center of the falls and standards, with similarly colored beards. These unconventional arilbreds were welcomed enthusiastically by some, but reviled by others as garish departures from the oncocyclus ideal.

In the 21st century, French hybridizer Lawrence Ransom picked up the torch of regeliabred breeding, using the Regelia hybrid 'Vera' to produce the siblings 'Eastern Blush' (2002) and 'Eastern Dusk' (2010). 'Eastern Dusk' then gave the distinctive horned arilbred 'Poisonous' (Ransom, 2010).

'Poisonous' (RB-)

Ransom also produced a delightfully varied series of regeliabred arilbred medians, again using 'Vera' as the Regelia parent, with mixed SDB pollen. These "Vera girls" include the widely grown 'Vera-Marina' (Ransom, 1998) and 'Vera-Ruby' (Ransom, 1996).

A special favorite of mine is an arilbred dwarf regeliabred from I. stolonifera X I. pumila, 'Topaz Talisman' (Jensen, 2015), from long-time Regelia enthusiast Elm Jensen, registered at 10 inches in height.

'Topaz Talisman' (RB)

Regelias and their regeliabred descendants have attracted a devoted following over the years, and have shown their great potential in adding variety, interest, and ease of culture to a collection of arils and arilbreds. Much of their full potential, I believe, is still untested. For decades, they have suffered from unfair comparison with their more popular oncocyclus and oncobred cousins. As more growers and hybridizers move away from the prejudices of the past, the Regelias and regeliabreds may at last come into their own as fascinating and beautiful types of iris in their own right.

An Arilbred Iris Sampler

Tom Waters

'Oyez' (White, 1938)

I was recently contacted by an iris lover who had read my blog post on the classification of arilbred irises and wanted to sample each of the categories. She asked if I had any recommendations. I gave a few off the top of my head, and she suggested that this might make a good blog topic. I agree! So here is my arilbred sampler, for those who want to try the full range of different types of arilbreds.

I've restricted the irises mentioned here to those that are readily available. The commercial gardens that have the best selection of arilbreds are Superstition Iris Gardens, Mid-America Garden, and Blue J Iris. In addition, the Aril Society International has an annual plant sale with many more arilbreds than these commercial growers offer. The offerings vary each year depending on what members contribute, but many varieties are offered nearly every year. If an iris was available from one of the three large commercial growers in their most recent catalog, or in the ASI plant sales for the last two years, I deemed it readily available. Some other commercial growers list a small number of arilbreds, and if arilbreds are grown in your area, the local iris society plant sales can also be a good source of plants.

I want to be clear that this listing is indeed intended as a "sampler". The idea is to cover as many different kinds as possible, to showcase the diversity of arilbreds. It is not an attempt to identify the "best arilbreds" by some objective criteria, nor even a list of "Tom's favorites". The idea is that if you are new to arilbreds, and plant a varied assortment, you can discover your own preferences and what grows well for you.

The ASI recognizes nine different categories of arilbred, based on the type and amount of aril content the iris has. There are two types of pure arils: oncocyclus and Regelia. An arilbred can have either or both of these types of aril in its background. Hence we have oncobreds (OB), Regeliabreds (RB), and oncogeliabreds (OGB, mixed onco and Regelia content). Furthermore, arilbreds can be half aril, more than half aril, or less than half aril. Those with more than half aril content are indicated with a "+" sign; those with less than half aril with a "-" sign. No sign is used for those that are half aril. Thus RB+ means an arilbred whose type of aril content is Regelia only, and whose amount of aril content is more than half.

It turns out that these nine categories actually allow for more distinctions than a practical gardener need attend to. There are very few OB arilbreds, and they are indistinguishable from most OGB types. The reason is that most of today's arilbreds are descended from pioneering work by C. G. White in the 1940s, and White did not keep track of parentages during this time. So his arilbreds, although drawing heavily on oncocyclus arils and selected to resemble oncocyclus as much as possible, are classified as OGB because of the possibility of some Regelia ancestry. So I don't separate OBs from OGBs here.

I do, however, separate out the arilbred medians and arilbred dwarfs from the tall arilbreds. These smaller arilbreds, typically with dwarf or median bearded irises in their parentage, fill a very different role in the garden and provide much of the diversity to be encountered in the arilbred tribe.

So much for the preliminaries. Onward to the plants!

OGB and OB (Onco-type halfbreds)

These are what most of us think of when we think of arilbreds. Most are tall types, with TB and oncocyclus ancestry dominating. Blooms are typically large and globular, often with strong aril markings, such as signal spots or veining.

'Refiner's Fire' (McGrath, 2007)

Large bold signals are actually a rather recent development in this group, with 'Energizer' (Shockey, 1996) being a striking breakthrough in its time. More recently, 'Noble Warrior' (Tasco, 2006) combines a dramatic signal with a bit of veining. 'Refiner's Fire' (McGrath, 2007) gives a striking dark signal on a deeply colored red-toned flower.

'Sand Dancer' (Tasco, 2010) gives us a whole different look, with falls covered in peppery stippling. Yet another completely different look is to be found in 'Navajo Velvet' (McAllister, 2009), with falls of lustrous, satiny mahogany red.

The historic arilbred 'Oyez' (White, 1938) has seduced many iris growers into the arilbred world with its dramatic precise veining. Strangely, it has been difficult to reproduce this striking pattern in modern arilbreds. ('Oyez' is a sterile diploid.) An early success was 'Jonnye's Magic' (Rich, 1992). For a true modern advancement in veined arilbreds, seek out 'Alakazam' (Tasco, 2013).

'Aladdin's Gem' (Thoolen, 2002)

There are few arilbred medians and arilbred dwarfs in this category. Very notable is 'Aladdin's Gem' (Thoolen, 2002), a fertile aril-pumila hybrid about the size of a small SDB (standard dwarf bearded)!

OGB- and OB- (Onco-type quarterbreds)

Originally, these categories were dominated by tall arilbreds that came from crossing halfbreds with TBs. At a time when halbreds were uncommon and difficult to grow, the quarterbreds were the most accessible arilbreds for most gardeners. The historic iris 'Elmohr' (Loomis-Long, 1942) was a fine example of the type, the only arilbred to win the Dykes Medal. It does not show the strong aril patterning we now expect in arilbreds, without signal or veining to speak of. To understand its allure, we must think back to a time when TBs were troubled with narrow petals and often droopy form. 'Elmohr' stood out with dramatically large blooms, wide falls, and a bit of globular onco form to bring it all together.

Some other tall quarterbreds for the sampler are 'Dune' (Hager, 1981) and the very recent 'Heart of Hearts' (Black, 2015). At their best, this type of iris can bring some of the modern TB form and bud count into irises that still evoke their aril ancestry.

'Desert Snow' (Black, 2013)

Since the 1970s, however, arilbred medians have increasingly dominated these categories. Crossing an
OGB halfbred with an SDB produces an OGB- arilbred median. In the garden, these occupy a niche similar to the IBs (intermediate beardeds), but with some aril traits to give them that special something extra. The charm and adaptability of this type of arilbred has given them a great appeal among arilbred growers and median fanciers alike. 'Brash and Bold' (Black, 2009) and 'Desert Snow' (Black, 2013) are fine examplars of what this category has to offer.

A somewhat different approach is found in 'Persian Sapphire' (Baumunk, 2005), a child of 'Aladdin's Gem' that has more Iris pumila in its makeup than TB.

There are some arilbred dwarfs in this category that are worthy of attention. 'Loudmouth' (Rich, 1970) is a perennial favorite, SDB-sized with raucous signal and veining and globular form. 'Tiny Pirate' (Rich, 1990) is the most diminutive arilbred I have grown; it would be small even among MDBs (miniature dwarf beardeds), but struts onco form, a signal, and a whisper of veining.

RB (Regelia-type halfbreds)

Enthusiasm for large, globular oncocylcus irises with their dramatic signals and stippling was a driving force in early arilbred breeding. The Regelias took a back seat in the minds of many growers and breeders; sometimes they were thought of as providing nothing but some ruggedness and climate adaptability. But some have always appreciated the Regelias for their svelte elegance, sometimes striking veining, satiny texture, or blended colors.

An early Regeliabred that helped draw attention to the potential of this type of iris was 'Genetic Artist' (H. Danielson, 1972). This shows a classic color pattern derived from the Regelia Iris stolonifera: a yellowish rim around a blue or violet center. 'Afrosiab' (Volfovich-Moler, 2001) shows a touch of ruffling from its TB parent, 'Mary Frances' (Gaulter, 1973). The French hybridizer Lawrence Ransom worked extensively with Regeliabreds, with his 'Eastern Blush' (Ransom, 2002) being much used in his breeding program.

RB- (Regelia-type quarterbreds)

Ransom's work takes center stage in this category. Among the tall RB- are the horned 'Sandthorn' (Ransom, 2011), and his "Pashtun" series, for example 'Pashtun Princess' (Ransom, 2011).

Ransom also produced a delightfully varied series of RB- arilbred medians, the "Vera girls", from crossing the Regelia 'Vera' (Van Tubergen, not registered) with SDBs.of which 'Vera-Marina'  (Ransom, 1998) is one example.

OGB+ (Onco-type "three-quarter"-breds)

This group has become sadly scarce in commerce, with seldom any new ones registered and introduced. This is perhaps because few arilbred hybridizers today grow the oncocyclus species and hybrids needed to produce this type of arilbred, which usually comes from crossing an OGB arilbred with a pure oncocyclus. The few that are readily available are not always representative of the best this type of breeding has to offer. 'Tul Kerem' (H. Danielson, 1974) is interesting but I find its combination of oncocylcus and Regelia traits ends up not doing justice to either. 'Masada's Glory' (Whitely, 2002) is a better exemplar of what this category has to offer. Although they do not meet my availability criteria, keep a look out from 'Jeweled Veil' (Rich, 1978) or 'Dotted Sunsuit' (Mathes, 2001). These show the oncocyclus features of their ancestry to best advantage.

RB+ (Regelia-type "three-quarter"-breds)

'Turkish Topaz' (Austin, 1962)

A couple oddities round out the sampler. 'Turkish Topaz' (Austin, 1962) was registered as a pure Regelia hybrid, but its parentage is somewhat ambiguous and it looks and grows like an RB+. The flowers are yellow with much brown streaking and blotching. 'White Arts' (L. Danielson, 1986) has only Iris hoogiana in its Regelia ancestry. This species shows nothing that we might recognize as distinctively aril in its coloration. If you walked by 'White Arts' in a garden, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a white IB or perhaps an antique diploid TB.

If you want to sample the world of arilbreds, be sure to try several different types. The variety available in plant size, color pattern, and form is truly remarkable!