In the Heart of Europe

 by Sylvain Ruaud

 

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the ensuing political upheaval had a major impact on the world of irises. We have already seen what happened in Germany. Now we will see what happened in the so-called People's Republics. The upheaval did not have the same consequences everywhere; but where it did, it gave birth to a new and not insignificant part of the iris world. This movement occurred in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, and, to a lesser extent, Hungary and Romania. The other countries were only slightly affected, either because of their geographical and climatic situation or because of specific or historical circumstances.

The cultivation of irises in the Czech Republic began long before the 1990s. With meager options in genetic breeding stock, clever and ingenious people had created hybrids. Such was the case of Vojtech Smid, who in 1985 succeeded in Florence with 'Libon', a variety that, despite its success, was never registered, because at the time it would have been suspicious to be associated with an American organization. But also, from that time, the great botanist Milan Blazek tried to make daring crosses, in line with his genetic studies. He was particularly interested in Iris plicatas and late varieties. Due to being isolated in his own country, it took until 2013 to get his new varieties registered. They are still showing their age despite their aesthetic interest. This is the case of the pink 'Jarni Sen' (R. 2013). As soon as American varieties became widely available as breeding material, many Czech amateurs began to work with them. Many of them immediately proved their worth. Take the case of Pavel Nejedlo, who made a masterstroke with the cross 'Desert Echo' X ('Rancho Rose' x 'Sketch Me') and the three plicata varieties he kept from it: 'Moonlight Sketch' (1998), 'Spacelight Sketch' (1998), and 'Sunlight Sketch' (1998); or of Jiri Dudek, whose few hybrids were appreciated wherever they could be seen. Witness: 'Papapubren' (2003). 

Tall bearded iris 'Moonlight Sketch'

Photo by Christine Cosi

But the undisputed leader of Czech iridophilia is Zdenek Seidl. This man of conviction is interested in all classifications of irises. In 30 years of activity, he has become famous and his varieties have won awards wherever they have been in competition, be it in Munich, Florence, or Paris. From his first entries, whether the yellows 'Pozdni Leto' (1998) and 'Zlatohlavek' (1998) or the black 'Bratislavska Noc' (1996), experts immediately recognized him as a remarkable breeder. As the years passed, his talent has only grown. 'Nad Oblaky' (2019) triumphed in Paris this year, and 'Chachar' (2013) preceded 'Nad Oblacky' in 2017, before winning in Florence the following year. Note his intermediate bearded irises, which are characterized by their small size, well within the limits and appearance of the category.

Tall bearded iris 'Chahar'
Photo by Stephane Bolvin

In neighboring Slovakia, Ladislav Muska is the champion of change after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is the epitome of a knowledgeable amateur. Like many hybridizers from Eastern Europe, he too started with a small pool of genetic stock for breeding. The available gene pool increased as more modern iris hybrids began to be exchanged, and little by little he was able to obtain the best American iris germplasm. His production was important and he even managed to publish a small handmade catalogue which he distributed to all his acquaintances in Europe and the United States, so that his varieties were spread everywhere. Not all of these irises are masterpieces, but many deserve to be in the finest collections. Especially his rich plicatas - 'Dreaming Clown' (1999) is the most famous and has even been used in breeding by Keith Keppel. Another notable introduction by Muska is the mauve 'Elegaball' (1999) which won the Moscow competition in 2003. 

Tall bearded iris 'Elegaball'
Photo by Sylvain Ruaud 

The successor of Ladislav Muska is Anton Mego. This discreet man continues to offer the world excellent varieties, both in terms of modernity and elegance of appearance and originality of colour. It has been a little over 20 years since his name first appeared in the iris world and there is hardly a year that has not been a revelation. The first shock was 'Slovak Prince' (2003) with its finely hemmed gold petals. It was an instant success in the USA, where in 2009 it won the highest possible award for a tall bearded non-American iris, the Wister Medal. 'Clotho's Web' (2010) won Third Prize in the 2015 Franciris® competition. Bratislavan Prince' (2010) came in first in the 2015 Moscow International TB (Tall Bearded) Iris Competition. 'Horske Oko' (2015) is arguably the first 'pansy-flowered' iris, and 'The Majestic' (2017) is a milestone in modern, exotic colouring reminiscent of aril irises. There is no doubt that Anton Mego can still be counted on to renew iridophilia. 

Tall bearded iris 'Slovak Prince'
Photo by Heather Haley

Tall bearded iris 'Clothos Web'
Photo by Christine Cosi

Tall Bearded iris 'Horske Oko'
Photo by Christine Cosi

Tall bearded iris 'The Majestic'
Photo by Christine Cosi

Further south, in Slovenia, part of the former Yugoslavia, is the home of Izidor Golob, who combines his hybridizing skills with a cheerful personality. He did not wait for political turmoil to take an interest in irises, registering and introducing his first unusual-for-the-time 'Mojka', an apricot iris, in 1978, followed by a series of rather unpretentious but successful cultivars, such as 'Majski Dotik' (2009), whose pedigree includes a pleasant white variety bred by the aforementioned Czech Milan Blazek.

Tall bearded iris 'Majski Dotik'
Photo by Sylvain Ruaud

One does not necessarily imagine that irises are available in Lithuania—but they are. Thanks go to Laimonis Zakis, a talented hybridizer who has been working on this plant since 2006, after a trip to Florence, but who refuses to register his varieties, which unfortunately keeps him on the fringes of the rest of the iris world. Many of his varieties would deserve international distribution, but this is out of the question as long as they remain semi-clandestine. The flower of 'Abavas Perle' (circa 2010) gives an idea of his production.

The main part of this Eastern European survey is Poland. It is the largest and most populous country and the one where iris cultivation has expanded the most. In truth, hybridizers are not particularly numerous there, but they appeared at the end of the Soviet bloc and have been renewed regularly since that time. One of the very first was Lech Komarnicki. An interesting and uncommon character, this former dramatic artist became interested in irises as soon as he left the stage and retired to his property in western Poland. He began by hybridizing tall bearded irises -- 'Poranna Mgielka' (2010) is an example of his work --  but he had many misadventures with them due to the harsh and humid climate of his region. He has preferred working on Siberian irises and interspecific crosses.

Tall bearded iris 'Poranna Mgielka'
Photo by Lech Komarnicki

He was followed by Zbigniew Kilimnik, Henryk Polaszek, and, more recently, Józef Koncewicz and, above all, Jerzy Wożniak. The last named had a brilliant but short career.  He was considered the most skilled hybridizer in his country, and his reputation spread far beyond Eastern Europe to Western Europe. But he soon disappeared (reorientation? death?). Actually, the only truly active and productive hybridizer left is Robert Piątek. This fifty-year-old water and forestry official is now one of the most renowned European hybridizers. He works in all categories of bearded irises, but with a preference for tall bearded irises; and every year he graces us with at least half a dozen new varieties. These flowers began to spread all over the world and he entered them in various competitions: Florence, Paris, Munich . . .  . He chooses names with Anglo-Saxon connotations to make them more accessible than if they had strictly Polish names. He addresses all flower patterns, as most hybridizers do today. Sticking to a few lines is no longer necessary because of the possibilities offered by crossing modern varieties. However, he has a special affection for pastel colors and plicatas of all kinds.

Before we leave Poland, let's greet Kat Zalewska, who is slowly making a place for herself in an area where women are not so numerous. The magnificent rose 'Axis Mundi' (2018) shows, if not the centre of the world, at least a real emerging talent.

Tall bearded iris 'Axis Mundi'
Photo by Kat Zalewska

Eastern Europe continues to open up to iris growing. Romania could be the next area of expansion, as well as Hungary. We should be talking seriously about this in a year or two. But already this part of the world has become a major focus for this area of horticulture.

Iris Competition Newcomers

 by Sylvain Ruaud

All those who are interested in irises have noticed that in recent years the results of the competitions held in Europe have given pride of place to varieties developed by native hybridizers. This is a new phenomenon and marks a fundamental evolution of the iris world. Indeed, we were used to all competitions being won by American or Australian varieties. This was true since the end of the Second World War and the resumption of trade. At first, there was only the Florence competition in Europe, which soon reached a reputation of excellence. Every year it was the occasion for hybridizers from all over the world to measure themselves against others. 

At the beginning, American varieties reigned supreme, while European breeders were still recovering from the world war and were learning about hybridization on the job. These were only western breeders, British, French, and Italian, few in number and aware of the delay accumulated by their seedlings since the end of the 1930s. This is revealed in the list of winners of the Florin d'Or. The competition started in 1957, and the first European variety to be crowned was 'Rosso Fiorentino' (Specht, N.R.) in 1973! And the following ones were 'Libon' (W. Smid, N. R.) in 1985 then 'Ikar' (A. Volfovitch-Moler, 1995) in 1995, of which it is however excessive to speak about European iris because it is originating from Uzbekistan!  From this moment the successes of European varieties became frequent: nine in twenty years (with a clear Italian supremacy: one counts six Italian varieties among these nine winners). 

'Rosso Fiorentino'

'Libon'

'Ikar'

In Germany, in a competition that is less demanding and judged by a popular jury instead of a professional one, the success of American varieties is obvious, but this is explained by the formal beauty of the varieties presented, which always meets with success in front of a jury that is less sensitive to horticultural qualities. In France, out of eight competitions in almost half a century, there have been only two American victories, which tends to confirm the above assumption! However, in general, European varieties manage to hold their own against irises from America or Australia. In Italy, native varieties, which are always numerous to compete in their own country, have won seven times in twenty years (1999/2018) (1), in France, European varieties have won seven times out of nine, despite a strong external representation (2). In other countries, this analysis is not possible because a competition reserved for local varieties is held at the same time as the international contest.
 
These competitions, which allow local breeders to measure themselves against their colleagues from all over the world and to measure the progress they are making, has brought to the forefront a certain number of newcomers who we can expect to equal or even surpass their elders in the next few years. In France, three new hybridizers have made themselves known. They are Stéphane Boivin, Nicolas Bourdillon and Martin Balland. The first one shone for the first time at the FRANCIRIS© competition in 2015 with 'Aime Bay' (2015). The second was the star of the 2019 competition with 'Beauté de Sologne' (2020). As for the third, he triumphed at the 2019 contest with 'My Red Drums' (2016) and in 2022 'Sylvain Ruaud' (2018) received two secondary awards. Outside of France we can talk about (among others): Pia Altenhofer in Germany, and Simone Luconi, in Italy. 

'Sylvain Ruaud'

The first, who lives in Neuendettelsau, near Nuremberg, in Bavaria, began by distinguishing herself by giving her irises names that do not evoke any reality: they are made up of an assembly of letters. It is a bit to onomastics what abstraction is to painting! But if that were all there was to it, we would not leave the realm of anecdote! The talent of this person is revealed in the success of her results and also in the fact that she is not satisfied with operating in one category of iris. On the contrary, she is interested in all bearded irises, from the smallest to the largest, and her results are brilliant everywhere. She obviously has a particular liking for light brown tones, very fashionable it is true, but my favorite is certainly 'Cattalomak' (2016), delicate purplish pink. She was noticed at the Florence competition, among others with her 'Humpogroll' (2021), rich descendant of 'Zlatovlaska' (Anton Mego, 2009). Let's wait for the continuation of her work.

The second of the selected newcomers is Simone Luconi, who lives in the southeast of Tuscany, in the town of Cortona. He has only registered seven varieties so far, six of which were noticed at the competition in Florence! That is to say that this new breeder must be taken into consideration. We will certainly hear about him in the years to come. To illustrate this opinion, let us appreciate the photo of 'Mimmamaria' (2021) or 'Kalsifer' (2021).
 
These are only two examples of the arrival of new hybridizers in the small European world of irises. Because they are rather numerous. In France in particular, but perhaps even more so in Italy where they do not hesitate to send to Florence their numerous novelties like 'Guarda l'Oceano' by Angelo Bolchi (2022). But the phenomenon is expanding and is manifesting itself in several other European countries, in some of which there were no breeders until now.
 
(1)
1999 'Settimo Cielo' (Valeria Romoli, 1999)
2006 'Recondita Armonia' (Mauro Bertuzzi, 2007)
2010 'Ale Viola' (Stefano Gigli, Not registered.)
2012 'Cheyenne my Dog' (Roberto Marucchi, 2013)
2013 'Vento di Maggio' (Augusto Bianco, 2011)
2018 'Anima Cara' (Angelo Garanzini, 2018)
 
(2)
2000 'Samsara' (Lawrence Ransom, 1997)
2003 'Belle de Nuit' (Richard Cayeux, 1999)
2007 'Solovinyaia Noc' (Nina Miroshnichenko)
2015 'Barbe Noire' (Richard Cayeux, 2012)
2017 'Chachar' (Zdenek Seidl, 2013)
2019 'My Red Drums' (Martin Balland, 2016)
2022 'Nad Oblaky' (Zdenek Seidl, 2019)

A Year in the Life: A Tall Bearded Iris in a French Garden

by Sylvain Ruaud

The irises in Les Liliacées (1812) were illustrated by Pierre-Joseph Redouté.

Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France

An iris is immortal! At least in theory. Let's say, rather, that it cannot die. It is this faculty that allows us to enjoy an iris in our gardens which was illustrated, described, or selected by Messieurs Redouté, Jacques or Lémon in the 19th century. A predictable process of vegetative propagation gives irises the extraordinary power to clone themselves. Not only can irises live forever, but they also do not age. Irises produced asexually retain all genetic characteristics of the original plant. So, one year in the life of an iris is not much. A healthy iris will live many years and throughout this time it will look very similar except for variations due to weather or tribulations inflicted by humans.

A year in the life of an iris is a perpetual narrative punctuated by the movement of the Earth around the Sun. In France (and other places in the Northern Hemisphere), let’s say the iris year begins in September. This is when temperatures decrease and the iris clump wakes from a period of rest.  It is time for each iris to resume growth and prepare for the future. In our modern irises, those containing I. aphylla genes, the foliage which usually captures energy from the Sun has almost completely dried up. All that remains are short stumps that provide the bare minimum. These leaves will grow a little to facilitate photosynthesis. Just what is needed…a break from fasting. Breakfast!

I. aphylla, a mountain plant, knew not to expose its delicate tissues to frost. The needs of its descendants could be satisfied with a few centimeters of leaf growth. New leaves will remain sheltered within older ones in case of snow. Most new growth will occur below ground and manifests itself by the appearance and development of buds on the sides of the rhizome. These buds are the beginnings of the new plants that will replace irises that lived during the previous season. Assuming sufficient water is available, the combination of rhizome and buds is all that will be required to reproduce identical replacements for a plant that lived the previous year. There is no loss, no degeneration. 

Little by little, the small buds develop into rhizomes. A few weeks after they appear, the round white structures give birth to the three initial shoots at the tip of their tiny rhizomes. These shoots don’t do very much when temperatures are low but enjoy active and vigorous growth when conditions are warm. When the shoots get large enough, three small leaf plumes will spring up from the ground. 

The rhizome is actually a modified stem. As the rhizome grows, lateral plumes become true leaves that frame the central plume. The central plume rises vertically as a cylindrical stem. This stem is also referred to as a bloom stalk; it is solidly anchored to the rhizome in the ground and supports flowers for a new generation. 

Although slow at the beginning, the growth of the iris will suddenly accelerate starting in mid-March (for this latitude). The timing of the growth spurt varies according to the sunshine and the heat of the air, but it is a crucial time in the life of new irises. Plants will not only have to prepare for skyward take-off, but they must also build up flesh in the rhizome. The flesh of the rhizome acts as an energy reserve for the growth spurt that pushes magnificent flowering structures high into the air.  If an open flower is successfully fertilized, then the rhizome must also nourish a seed capsule until it reaches maturity. Necessary materials are drawn not only from the Earth but also from the air around the plant. Leaves must take in a compound necessary for plant metabolism (carbon dioxide) and release a gas produced during photosynthesis (oxygen). Hence it is absolutely necessary that leaves be healthy and well developed. If they are broken or cut, our iris will be weakened.

The stalk that supports tall bearded iris flowers has an exceptionally fast growth rate: roughly 1.5 cm per day! This is the most active period of the year for an iris. To achieve this, the iris draws on energy from the rhizome and water from the soil. Spring rains are essential to transport materials above the foliage and into flowers offering rewards to pollinating insects. When spring arrives a tall bearded iris stem has reached its maximum height: between 75 cm and 1 meter. Although some varieties exceed these dimensions, is not advantageous because of possible damage from wind or rain showers. Neither is lacking in my location. Foul weather may easily knock down a tall iris stem — destroying the efforts of the plant and the hopes of the gardener. 

One may wonder how nature solved the problem of keeping irises upright. Indeed, there is a natural imbalance: most of the load is positioned away from the base, and the rain that falls on the flowers adds weight to the structure. To resist, the iris extends its roots towards the front of the plant. It is like claws that cling to the ground. To perfect this anchorage, the roots differentiate their form based on soil structure. In soft soils, iris roots are long and thin. In rocky soils, they are few but thick. That's why the iris likes stony soils and dreads light soils. In spite of everything, some tall bearded stems fall over. This may be due to genetic weakness in the plant, but the fault is more often due to a lack of water or sunlight. Tall bearded irises require at least half a day of sunlight.

It is now spring, and we are in full-bloom season. The buds open one by one. It is not necessary for many flowers to open at the same time. There are several reasons for this: 1) a staggered opening extends the flowering period for pollinators (and human iris lovers); 2) by opening at the same time, large, showy flowers get in the way of each other; and 3) when many flowers are open, weight at the end of the stalk increases, increasing the risk of falling. Each is something an iris hybridizer examines before selecting a new plant for introduction.  Thus, such imperfections have become rare. 

The big bumblebees, greedy of the nectar of the iris, multiply the landings on the sepals and introduce themselves in the calyx then leave it backwards, carrying their load of pollen towards another flower which they will fertilize…unless a human hybridizer has came along beforehand to dab pollen for a cross of their own. There is a lot of activity in the garden, but it will not last long! The iris season is short...

This brings us to the month of June. Most of the flowers have faded and the plant, which has made an intense effort, enters summer dormancy. With its duty accomplished, the iris forgoes growth processes and instead will focus on keeping existing structures healthy. As temperatures rise throughout the summer,  iris leaves may dry up. Meanwhile, processes underground prepare the plant for the following season. The rhizome slowly reconstitutes its reserves and prepares a new set of buds. Above ground, mysterious work continues within the ovary of the fertilized flower. The watermelon-shaped capsules swell as seeds inside develop. At the beginning of August, seeds approach maturity until one day the capsule containing them bursts open.  The attentive gardener will watch for this event and harvest the seeds he covets before they fall to the ground and scatter. Meanwhile, under the crust of earth warmed by the summer sun, nature completes the development of new rhizomes, those that will be responsible for renewing the initial variety.

The annual cycle is completed. Our iris is ready for the new season...

Novelty Irises: A Lace Story

by Sylvain Ruaud

We can't say that 'Chantilly' (David Hall, 1943) is a very pretty flower. For color, its okay. A light lavender iris, with shoulders clearly marked with yellow that infuses the heart. But for the shape, it is rather mediocre, with recurved and drooping sepals (falls). In fact, what catches the eye are the edges of the floral pieces that are finely curved, like lace. Hence the name, CHANTILLY, which does not refer to cream, but to the famous activity of which the eponymous French city has long been proud. As soon as it appeared, this iris became popular thanks to this frizzled flower edge, original for it's time.

'Chantilly' photo by Mikey Lango

However, the serrated edges were not entirely new in the 1940s, because this aspect had appeared for more than ten years in the seedlings of the Sass brothers. The brothers considered it more of an anomaly. But the visitors to their nursery found it pretty; and Hans Sass eventually decided to register two curly varieties, 'Midwest Gem' in 1936, and then 'Matula' in 1935. Several iris hybridizers seized the opportunity to start development of this ornament. Especially Agnes Whiting, who used 'Matula' extensively to pass on the lace factor to her descendants. She registered several lacy varieties, such as 'Gold Lace', 'Mirabelle', 'Etude' and especially 'Pathfinder' (R. 1948). Tell Muhlestein, on the other hand, used 'Midwest Gem' instead and ended up with 'Gold Ruffles'. Dr. Phillip Loomis went another way to develop the curly edges of his flowers. He found that his pink orchid 'Morocco Rose' (1937) was able to transmit the relevant factor. 

'Pathfinder' scanned from the 1955 Schreiner's catalog 

'Morocco Rose' scanned from the 1937 Quality Gardens catalog

But was David Hall, breeder of 'Chantilly' and great hybridizer, particularly of pink iris, who reached a really and deeply serrated iris. After 'Chantilly' his efforts led to introduction of 'Limelight' (1952) then 'June Bride' (1952). However it was another variety, the medium pink 'May Hall' (1954), not frankly cut, which proved to be the best for the transmission of lace. Although we don't know why, pink irises propagate this phenomenon well. From this variety, breeders like Orville Fay and Nate Rudolph introduced characteristic lacy edges in their irises. This is the case for 'Truly Yours' (Fay, 1949), a soft yellow iris. The yellow becomes white the closer one gets to the edges, which are finely laced. Iris judges did not fail to appreciate the progress of 'Truly Yours' and awarded it the Dykes Medal in 1953. The same award honored 'Rippling Waters' (Fay, 1961) in 1966, a mauve variety with nicely chiseled edges. It has become one of the pillars of modern hybridization. Rudolph's rose-colored irises have identical features; notably, the delicate soft pinks 'Pink Ice' (1962), 'Pink Fringe' (1967), and 'Pink Sleigh' (1970).

'Pink Fringe' scanned from 1977 Schreiner's catalog

'Pink Sleigh' photo by Christine Cosi

Of course both origins, 'Chantilly' and 'May Hall', not to mention 'Morocco Rose', have been crossed, directly or via their descendants, to obtain remarkably embroidered petals. Gordon Plough used this route to introduce lacy irises into his lines. Opal Brown did the same. We owe Plough, for example, for 'Butterscotch Kiss' (Plough, 1957), not only very curly, but also marking the appearance of a new hue barium yellow, among yellow irises; 'Rainbow Gold' (Plough 1960), a golden yellow iris which we find in the pedigree of many well-known varieties like 'Bride's Halo' (H. C. Mohr, 1973), 'Milestone' (Plough 1965), 'Starring Role' (D. Palmer, 1973) and 'Trader's Gold' (Plough, 1982). Opal Brown got 'Buffy' (1969) and its offspring 'Queen Of Hearts' (1974). 'Queen Of Hearts' the latter just missed the Dykes Medal in 1981.

'Starring Role' photo by Mary Hess, Bluebird Haven Iris Garden

'Queen Of Hearts' photo by Sylvain Ruaud

Schreiners Gardens also reacted to lacy possibilities by crossing 'Midwest Gem' and 'Chantilly'. From this union were born, a few generations later, quality curly varieties like 'Lime Fizz' (Schreiner, 1969) and the famous, splendid, ultra-curly 'Grand Waltz' (Schreiner, 1970).

—

'Grand Waltz' photo by Christine Cosi

Serrated edges are now very common in large irises. Common features also include widely-branched stems, soft undulations, and sepals (falls) that widen at the base. 'Grand Waltz' (Schreiner 1970) is no stranger to this expansion. Its' children and grandchildren are numerous and often reproduce the ornaments of their illustrious ancestor. One of the most cut out is—without question—the famous 'Laced Cotton' (Schreiner, 1980) which could very well have been added to the American Dykes Medals awarded to the products of the firm of Salem, Oregon. It missed the supreme distinction in 1986. Paradoxically, 'Song Of Norway' won the most votes from accredited judges. It is a stiff variety and rather stingy in curls! 'Laced Cotton', a pure white self, is entirely bordered in very fine serrations, and this character interested a great number of hybridizers. 

'Laced Cotton' photo by Christine Cosi

Schreiner's subsequent crosses not only produced 'Queen Of Angels' (1995) with its jagged edges, but also 'Carte Blanche' (1996) and 'Arctic Age' (1999). 'Mystic Lace' (Aitken, 1990) takes from 'Laced Cotton' the delicate curls of its petals, and from 'Mystique' (Ghio, 1975) its pretty indigo blue gradient. 'Pure As The' (Innerst, 1989) is also an abundantly frizzled white. 'Rhonda Fleming' (Mullin, 1993) is a superb bright mauve flower with a white center, both frizzled and wavy; 'Lady Bird Johnson' (Mahan, 1996) combines the of qualities of refined pale blue color and perfect shape with frizzling and waviness. The same goes for the lavender blue 'Fancy Stuff' (O. Brown, 2001). 

'Queen Of Angels' photo by Christine Cosi

'Mystique' photo by Mary Hess, Bluebird Haven Iris Garden

'Pure As The' photo by Klaus Burkhardt

Outside of the United States, 'Laced Cotton' has been used extensively. It is the star parent of the Slovak Ladislaw Muska who has produced many interesting embroidered cultivars such as his fetish bicolor 'Don Epifano' (R. 1989) and the aptly named lavender 'La Dentelle' (1995) which can be described as frizzy. 'Oedipussi' (1990) is the contribution of the German Harald Moos to the glory of 'Laced Cotton' and its cut petals. 'Zlatohlavek' (Seidl, 1997), is the yellow - and Czech - version of 'Laced Cotton'. Finally, let's not forget 'Cumulus' (Cayeux, 2001), a lavender neglecta, which includes in its genealogy the prestigious names of 'Laced Cotton', of course, but also those of 'Condottiere' and 'Silverado'.

'Cumulus' photo by Christine Cosi

'Laced Cotton' is, however, only one of the descendants of 'Grand Waltz' with its heavily embroidered edges. Rick Ernst's products, all cousins, are part of this large family. They include 'Different World' (1991), 'Rainbow Goddess' (1994) or 'Tracy Tyrene' (1988). Let's also mention 'Ruffles And Lace' (Hamblen, 1982), whose name says it all; 'Lilac Breeze' (Tompkins, 1987), a lovely bluish pink; and many Schreiner products, such as 'Fabulous Frills' (1976), really crepey; 'Michele Taylor' (1984), and her cousin 'Prettie Print' (1980), a pure soft mauve wonder gracefully bubbled with bright mauve lace.

'Different World' photo by Christine Cosi

'Tracy Tyrene' photo by Christine Cosi

Today, lace-edged irises are fairly common. 'Chantilly', with such a well-chosen name, has greatly inspired hybridizers from all countries. They have abundantly exploited its performances and offered to the public more and more beautiful flowers whose standards and falls are adorned with the most charming ornaments.

The Long History of Irises in France

By Sylvain Ruaud

Whether we like it or not, it was in France that the horticultural culture of irises began. Men have always been drawn to irises. They were amazed by the richness of this flower and the variety of their colors. It is not for nothing that they gave it the nickname "plant of the rainbow", but their wonder increased when they realized that they could indefinitely vary colors, sizes, and shapes, just by choosing the parents at the time of crossing.

This discovery was a real revolution. It is the work of a French aristocrat, Marie Guillaume de Bure. Although apparently without having a professional life, this descendant of an illustrious publishing family had enough money to live on his income and to indulge his passion for irises without fear of what the future might bring. Like everyone else at that time, he was ecstatic about the variety of iris colors obtained by the natural pollinations; and he said to himself that it was possible to select the most beautiful - or the most original - among the flowers from the intervention of pollinating bees. Thus, his selection of work started in the 1830s; and his first choice was a plicata variety, which he called iris 'Buriensis.' This iris is now extinct (unless it has naturalized, which is likely), but the work of a few researchers has shown that it must be quite similar to the variety called 'True Delight' (Sturtevant, 1924). Today nobody discusses the appearance of iris 'Buriensis', but a recent study suggests that this variety was much older than the date originally indicated. Rather than the 1830s, we should talk about the 1810s, which places the origin of iris horticulture even earlier than we thought!

'True Delight' photo by Mike Unser

Monsieur de Bure was followed very quickly by other French nurserymen, in particular Henri Antoine Jacques, gardener of King Louis-Philippe in his castle of Neuilly in the west of Paris who found a most famous iris called 'Jacquesiana', from the 1840s. It was then a family of prolific and inspired nurserymen, Jean and Jean Nicolas Lémon, who brought a large number of varieties to the market. These plants met with tremendous success and many of them still exist today, 170 years after their selection.

'Jacquesiana' photo by Mike Unser

These first famous plants were created by natural pollination and then selected by the nurserymen. As for the crosses made by human hands, we will have to wait a little longer. French supremacy in the iris world went through a major crisis caused by the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, then the revolutionary episode of the Commune de Paris (1871). During these few years of estrangement from French specialists, British horticulturalists took up the torch and rapidly advanced iris horticulture. It was not until the years 1880/1890 and the preeminence of the Verdier family that France came back to the fore.

Victor Verdier was the nephew of Antoine Jacques, the gardener of King Louis-Philippe. He and his sons picked up the family torch. Their activity was essentially that of nurserymen, marketing the varieties of their colleagues, such as the Lémon or their uncle Jacques. Nevertheless, what we know from them are some very famous varieties, such as 'Clio' (1863), or 'Nuée d'Orage' (1905). This last variety can be considered the end of an era. During the half-century following these introductions, essential events occurred in the history of irises, such as the transition to tetraploidy, to which many French hybridizers largely contributed.

'Nuée d'Orage' photo by Mike Unser

Admittedly, it was not them who were at the start of this discovery; but when these irises gained enough interest, hybridizers immediately focused on them as well. During the eclipse of the French gardeners, their English colleagues, worried that they would no longer discover new colors in their irises, called on the large blue irises taken from the Near or Middle East. Very soon, however, they found themselves at a dead end: Middle Eastern irises only produced flowers in shades of blue. Hence the idea of ​​crossing them with European irises. However, the first crosses were very disappointing. There were few successful fertilizations and seedlings proved sterile. At the time they could not explain these phenomena, and it took much perseverance by the hybridizers who continued to try their luck, before another Frenchman, Marc Simonet, appeared and solved the mystery by counting the iris chromosomes.

'Demi-Deuil' and 'Madame Chobaut' photos by Mike Unser

This period of uncertainty, which lasted for over thirty years, marked a fundamental stage in the history of irises. The efforts of French hybridizers were decisive and horticulturalists such as Ferdinand Denis and Alexandre and Lionel Millet, inspired by their British colleagues, brought large-flowered irises from Turkey and crossed them with "small"-flowered irises, producing the fertile and richly colored flowers that we know today. Ferdinand Denis had a very productive career. In tall beardeds (TBs) alone, he registered over 70 varieties. Among these, the famous 'Demi-Deuil' (1912), unusual 'Madame Chobaut' (1916), and the pale blue 'Andrée Autissier' (1921). As for the Millet firm, their work was just as productive, producing the essential 'Souvenir de Madame Gaudichau' (1914) and 'Mary Senni' (1930).

'Souvenir de Madame Gaudichau' photo by Mike Unser 

It was during this period of transition that two exceptional French hybridizers came to the fore: Philippe de Vilmorin and Ferdinand Cayeux. They have had very different careers. Philippe de Vilmorin was a flamboyant character, inspired by irises, but only hybridizing with the zealous and faithful intervention of Séraphin Mottet, his chief gardener. Mottet made the crosses, Vilmorin made the decisions. Together they created splendid flowers which marked their time, like 'Caprice' (1898), 'Oriflamme' (1904), and 'Ambassadeuer' (1920). But their reign was short-lived, pioneer Philippe de Vilmorin died prematurely.

'Caprice' and 'Ambassadeur' photos by Mike Unser

Ferdinand Cayeux, a businessman as much as a genius horticulturist, largely dominated his time. He was admired by the world of irises which had recognized in him an exceptional character. His irises have been cultivated all over the world and varieties like 'Jean Cayeux' (1931) or 'Madame Louis Aureau' (1934) are still alive today in many collections. He made the “iridosphere” take a huge leap forward. His influence lasted until World War II when it brought his work to a halt. When peace returned, the American hybridizers had reclaimed the first place in the world because they made considerable progress.

'Madame Louis Aureau' photo Mike Unser

The Cayeux family had passed the torch to Ferdinand's grandson, Jean, also an excellent hybridizer, who was talked about for 50 years by producing real monuments like 'Condottiere' (1978) or the long series "tricolor" varieties that got started by 'Bal Masqué' (1991).

'Casque D'Or' (J. Cayeux, 1957) photo by Mike Unser

At the end of the war, the French hybridizers had practically disappeared. Apart from Jean Cayeux there was no one left. It was not until the end of the 1970s that enlightened and daring amateurs came to make their contribution to the creation of new varieties. We owe this renewal to a man, Pierre Anfosso, who added his passion for irises to his vocation as a painter. It was in 1979 that he made his appearance in the “iridosphere,” with varieties that were recognized by all such as 'Echo de France,’ his homage to the work of Barry Blyth. He communicated the iris virus to all his family, and outstanding varieties are attributed to his son Pierre-Christian, his daughter Laure, his wife Monique and his daughter-in-law Vivette. Both French and American iris enthusiasts regretted that this family had discontinued their iris creation at the end of the 1990s, and were delighted to see its rebirth in 2015.

'Echo de France' photo by Mike Unser

The 1990s saw the emergence of a new hybridizer full of talent and very eclectic in his fields of activity: Lawrence Ransom. This breeder with a very sure taste produced charming flowers of great quality but which remained confidential in their distribution. Two or three other people made themselves known in the same period, but in a more artisan than professional way. At that time it was Richard Cayeux, heir to the famous family, who largely dominated the French market, showing first-rate talent and obtaining numerous and superb varieties. Today he is a globally known and recognized hybridizer. His example served for several iris fanatics to embark on hybridization and marketing of their production. In this way, the number of new French varieties quickly increased and real talents were revealed. Their work focused on all types of irises, but primarily on TBs. Each year now, we see new hybridizers advance their work, but what limits their recognition at the global level is the weakness of their marketing network.

Nowadays if the supremacy in the world of irises still rests with the American hybridizers, it has a lot to do with a host of breeders from all countries of the world. Among these, are French breeders, who have regained an honorable place.