The Aril Society Checklist

 by Tom Waters

When I'm not writing blog posts, one of my many other iris-related activities is serving as checklist editor for the Aril Society International. I've just completed the 2023 update of the checklist, which is available on the ASI website. It occurred to me that there are probably many people who are not aware that the ASI maintains a checklist of aril and arilbred irises, nor aware of what it offers beyond other references. So I thought I would use this blog post to have a look at the checklist and why it is important.

When the Aril Society International was formed in the 1950s, there were no standardized definitions for the various types of aril and arilbred irises. Irises with oncocyclus or Regelia ancestry were registered with the American Iris Society under a bewildering range of classification codes. One of the first tasks of the new society was to sort through all the various registrations and establish specific categories for them. A persistent problem in the early years was that irises of 1/8, 1/16, or even less aril ancestry were being given awards as arilbreds despite being indistinguishable from TBs. The society addressed this by requiring irises to be 1/4 aril or more to be considered as arilbreds. Subsequently, there were two separate award systems created: one for arilbreds of 1/4 to 1/2 aril content, and another for irises of 1/2 aril content or more.

'Loudmouth' (Rich, 1970) won the
C. G. White Award as an OB (1/2 aril)
but is now an OB- (less than 1/2) 
because of a change in definition.

The checklist was critical for establishing which irises met the various award criteria. The editor would take the registration data, do pedigree research, consider an iris's appearance, breeding behavior, and any chromosome counts that had been done, and then assign it to the appropriate category. In days before the internet, the ASI checklist was the only source of this classification information, because it was impractical to reprint the American Iris Society checklists to give updated classifications for arilbreds. The classifications and definitions used by the Aril Society have changed several times over the years, and the checklist is the only authoritative reference on how definition changes have affected the classification of each arilbred iris. Applying the current definitions, which involve estimating the chromosome makeup of each cultivar, is not a trivial matter in some cases.

Here are some of the things you will find in the ASI checklist that may not be presented accurately (or at all) in other sources:

Classification Information. Each iris listed, even historic irises registered long ago under other definitions, are assigned to the current ASI classification, to the extent possible given the existing information. This is of particular value to show classification committees in regions where arils and arilbreds are likely to be exhibited. It is especially important for irises that were once considered arilbreds, but no longer meet the definitions of that class.

Height Categories. In 2018, the ASI established definitions for two height categories for smaller arilbreds: arilbred dwarf (ABD) and arilbred median (ABM). These are included in the current edition of the AIS Judges' Handbook. The checklist gives the correct height category for each arilbred listed.

Chromosome Configuration. Aril and arilbred irises may include chromosome sets from oncocyclus, Regelia, tall bearded, and dwarf bearded species. Which chromosome sets are present in a given iris is of considerable interest to hybridizers, as it affects fertility and helps the hybridizer properly classify any resulting seedlings. The checklist provides the most likely chromosome configuration for most irises listed, along with an actual chromosome count where one has been reported.

Fertility Observations. When an iris is known to have produced offspring as a seed parent or pollen parent, this is noted in the checklist.

Is this 'Bronze Beauty',
'Hoogiana Bronze Beauty',
Iris hoogiana 'Bronze Beauty',
'Bronze Beauty Van Tubergen',
or 'Antiope'? Answer: yes.

Irises Not Eligible for Awards as Arilbreds. An appendix to the checklist provides a thorough listing
of irises that do not qualify as arilbreds for various reasons: never having been registered, having been registered in a non-arilbred class, or having been disqualified as definitions became more strict.

Nonregistered Aril Hybrids. A substantial number of aril hybrids have been introduced, particularly through the firm of Van Tubergen in the Netherlands, that were never registered with the American Iris Society. Some were registered with the Dutch registration authority for bulb irises, while others were simply not registered at all. The checklist includes these in an appendix, along with photographs and other information.

Even today, where so much information seems just clicks away on the internet, the ASI checklist fills an important role in providing authoritative information that is not reliably available elsewhere. It is an important resource for judges, show officials, and hybridizers. Anyone with an interest in aril and arilbred irises should become familiar with what the checklist has to offer.

Arilpums Are Here!

by Tom Waters

When I last wrote about my progress with hybridizing arilpums in September, I was eagerly anticipating this spring's bloom, with many new seedlings expected to bloom on established plants. I was not disappointed!

Aladdin's Gem

First, a little recap. Arilpums are hybrids between pure arils and the dwarf bearded species Iris pumila. When a tetraploid aril is used as the aril parent, theory predicts that the arilpum seedlings will be fully fertile amphidiploids. Historically, most arilbred dwarfs and medians have been produced by using arilbreds, diploid arils, and SDBs in various combinations, and the result has been infertile offspring, making it impossible to linebreed the smaller arilbreds to refine them and extend their potential. Arilpums are the way out of that difficulty. However, only a few have been registered and introduced: 'Barbarella' (Mathes, 1991), 'Aladdin's Gem' (Thoolen, 2002), and 'Topaz Talisman' (Jensen, 2015). Although producing fertile pollen, arilpums so far have shown little or no pod fertility, a disappointing setback.

Last spring, I had some luck with the two arilpum seedlings I bloomed, Q025-01, 'Merlin's Magic' X Armenian pumila seedling, and Q053-01, 'Tadzhiki Bandit' X 'Sudden Butterflies'. Both produced seeds for me, as did a seedling of George Hildenbrandt's, GH-11-4-2, 'Dunshanbe' X 'Hidden Dragon'. So it seemed there was hope after all for creating a line of fertile arilpums!

This spring reinforced my optimisim, and also gave a preview of the great variety of color, pattern, and form that is possible with arilpums.

Q068-14

Q068-04, with "monster beards"

Earliest to bloom were seedlings from cross Q068, 'Dunshanbe' X 'Wild Whispers'. I had over a dozen of these, most dark violet selfs with some aril look but without much distinctiveness. Two stood out, however. Q068-04 has massive caterpillar beards. Not exactly beautiful, but certainly memorable. Q068-09 is the best of the lot, with a clean oncocyclus shape and elegant look. 

Q068-09, the standout

The second cross to bloom was really exciting: Q066, 'Tadzhiki Bandit' X Caucasus pumila seedling. These were much smaller and more varied than the 'Dunshanbe' seedlings, showing many exciting colors and patterns. I've kept almost everything from this cross for further evaluation.

Q066-06

Q066-02

There was another from cross Q053, looking almost the same as its sibling that bloomed last year. I also had a few seedlings from cross Q070, 'Vera' X 'Royal Wonder', one of which was deemed worthy of a closer look.

Q070-01

I made a number of crosses with this year's arilpums, but was not very systematic or thorough about it. Seeds have not been harvested yet, so it is premature to say much about their pod fertility. But there are pods, even some bee pods, so I am optimistic. 

It's been about ten years work to get to this point, but at last I have a small cadre of arilpum seedlings to work with, and the future looks very promising.

Looking to the Future of Mohr-type Irises

By Bryce Williamson

In my recent blog, The World of New Exciting Mohr Type Irises, I wrote about the recent introductions and their much more aril like appearance; today is the chance to learn about what the future has in store.

Paul Black wrote to me, "W306A which is a beauty is from ‘Energizer’ X TB seedling.  It looks like a good 1/2 to 3/4 bred."

Black W306A--image by Paul Black

Rick Tasco kindly provided information about his work with Mohr types: “Virtually all of the aril-median crosses I make are between 1/2-breds and SDBs, either reblooming SDBs or SDBs with large and bright spot patterns.  This has worked out very well for me.  We need to get more rebloom in the aril-medians.  I have a very strong reblooming aril-median that I’ll be introducing next year (2018).”

To whet our appetite, Rick provided images of some of his best selections.

Sun and Snow (Tasco '18)--image by Rick Tasco

Scheduled for introduction in 2018, this Mohr-type is a very strong rebloomer in its home garden, opening new possibilities for extending the season.

Tasco 15-AM-07-27--image by Rick Tasco

There is something about this color combination that I really like.

I have written about the value of yellow in irises and the next two seedlings will bring sunlight into the early spring garden even on a rainy day.

 Tasco 15-AM-01-16--image by Rick Tasco

Tasco 15-AM-11-17--image by Rick Tasco

Rick's next two seedlings show the value of crossing medians with spots with arilbreds.

Tasco 15-AM-03-16--image by Rick Tasco

Tasco 15-AM-03-03--image by Rick Tasco

The future of this old class of irises seems bright with hybridizers using new ideas and new blood to revitalize Mohr-types.

At this point, there are only a few sources for plants. Two reputable sources are Mid America and Superstition. Click on the nursery name and it will take you to a link where you can find out more information from the garden owners.

The Legacy of 'Anacrusis'

by Tom Waters

'Anacrusis' (Mathes, 1992), OGB/ABM

There is a very interesting line of irises created by Harald Mathes of Germany, beginning with 'Anacrusis' (Mathes, 1992). This iris was produced in a very interesting way. Mathes crossed a pure oncocyclus aril hybrid (I. iberica x I. auranitica) with the dwarf bearded species I. suaveolens. Both the aril and the dwarf are diploids (two sets of chromosomes), and wide crosses between diploids ordinarily produce sterile offspring. Mathes, however, used colchicine treatment to convert the seedling to tetraploidy (four sets of chromosomes). Theory predicts that such a tetraploid would be fertile, and indeed it was! (See my earlier blog post, Tetraploid Arils, Anyone?) Tetraploids created in this way can be unstable, reverting to the diploid state or growing poorly or erratically. So to preserve this breeding accomplishment, Mathes used the pollen of the tetraploid seedling on a conventional arilbred, 'Dresden Gold' (Foster, 1975). The result of that cross was 'Anacrusis'.

'Anacrusis' thus carries an unusual complement of genetic material. It has two sets of aril chromosomes, one from the oncocyclus hybrid Mathes had used, and one from 'Dresden Gold'. It has one set of TB chromosomes from 'Dresden Gold', and one set of dwarf suaveolens chromosomes. So it is a "halfbred", with two sets of aril chromosomes and two sets of bearded chromosomes, but with an important difference: one of the bearded sets is from the dwarf species I. suaveolens, rather than the TB ancestry found in most halfbreds. The aril species I. auranitica is also something different, not to be found in the ancestry of most halfbreds.  'Anacrusis', the result of this unprecedented combination of genetic material, is an arilbred median (20 inches in height) with the globular oncocyclus flower form, dark color, and a large black signal.

It is worthwhile to compare this with more typical arilbred medians, which come from crossing halfbreds with standard dwarf bearded irises (SDBs). These get their dwarf ancestry from I. pumila, whereas 'Anacrusis' gets its from I. suaveolens. Conventional arilbred medians are one-quarter aril, but 'Anacrusis' is one-half aril. And finally, conventional arilbred medians are sterile, but 'Anacrusis' is fully fertile, just like tall halfbreds are.

But what to cross it with? The first 'Anacrusis' child to be introduced was 'Invention' (Mathes, 1994), the result of crossing 'Anacrusis' with a sibling. This iris is similar to 'Anacrusis', also 20 inches in height, and with a similar dark color.

'Concerto Grosso' (Mathes, 1998) OGB/ABM

The next avenue to explore was combining 'Anacrusis' with other arilbreds. To this end, Mathes made use of one of his other unusual arilbreds, 'Gelee Royale' (Mathes, 1982). This iris is that most unusual of creatures, a pentaploid (five sets of chromosomes)! Its pod parent was an triploid OGB+ arilbred (2/3 aril complement, with the aril sets coming from I. auranitica and the Regelia I. hoogiana), with 'Dresden Gold' again as the pod parent. Although this is a complicated pedigree, 'Gelee Royale' breeds much like other halfbreds do. Mathes crossed 'Gelee Royale' with its sibling, crossed the result with the 'Anacrusis' sibling, and then finally crossed the result to 'Invention'. The result of this multi-generation hybridizing work was 'Concerto Grosso' (Mathes, 1998). Despite the presence of 'Gelee Royale' (registered at 35.5 inches) in its pedigree, 'Concerto Grosso' is still only 20 inches tall itslef.

'Concerto Grosso' has larger flowers than 'Anacrusis' and 'Invention', and is a rich mahogany color, quite different from most arilbreds. It went on to with the C. G. White medal, the highest award for arilbreds, in 2005.

'Iridescent Orange' (Mathes, 2001), OGB

Mathes had not finished his work with this line, however. 'Anacrusis', 'Invention', and 'Concerto Grosso' are all very dark in color, and Mathes wanted to extend the range of this line to lighter hues. 'Iridescent Orange' (Mathes, 2001) from ('Invention' x 'Gelee Royale') X 'Concerto Grosso' is a lovely orange self with a dark signal. At 23 inches in height, it is just above the limit for the arilbred median category, as defined in the Checklist of Arilbred Dwarfs and Medians. Its sibling, 'Suprassing Yellow' (Mathes, 2001) is a yellow rendition of the theme, also 23 inches.

The line is carried on in 'Glittering Garnets' (Donald Eaves by Elm Jensen, 2010) is from 'Anacrusis' crossed with the arilbred 'Desert Plum'. This is 22 inches in height, at the upper limit of the arilbred median category.

These irises have also been used in crosses outside the halfbred fertile family to which they belong. 'Dotted Sunsuit' (Mathes, 2001), is an OGB+ triploid from a yellow 'Anacrusis' sib crossed with an oncogelia seedling. 'Chain Reaction' (Tasco, 2007) comes from an SDB seedling x 'Concerto Grosso', a small arilbred median at 13 inches. 'Arcanum' (Jensen, 2013) is from 'Anacrusis' x I. pumila 'Crouching Tiger', a diminutive arilbred dwarf at only 6 inches in height!

There is still potential to be tapped from the 'Anacrusis' legacy. Its value in breeding fertile arilbred medians should be noticed and pursued. The most promising way to go about this is to cross 'Anacrusis' or any of its descendants with the smallest halfbreds available. 'Peresh' (Whitely, 2001), at 15 inches, and its siblings 'Eglon', 'Kedesh', and 'Tekoah' come to mind.

The creative, unprecedented cross that produced 'Anacrusis' is a true hybridizing success story, not only producing an interesting, attractive iris, but opening up new paths for the hybridizer and for others who were to follow.

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!

Arilbred medians: irises that have it all

by Tom Waters

'Brash and Bold' (Black, 2009)

In my blog post this April about arilbred irises, I mentioned that these striking garden jewels come in all sizes. Today I'm going to focus in on the smaller arilbreds, which are often called arilbred medians.

All arilbreds have in their ancestry both bearded irises and the exotic aril irises from the mountains and deserts of southwestern Asia. Because tall bearded irises have long been the most popular and extensively bred of the bearded types, it was mostly tall bearded irises that were used to produce arilbreds.

However, there have always been hybridizers of an adventurous bent who used dwarf or median bearded irises to produce arilbreds. Among the first irises from such breeding is 'Zwanenburg' introduced by French hybridizer Louis Denis in 1912. Its parentage is a matter of debate, but a dwarf bearded cultivar derived from Iris lutescens was one of the parents, and there is clearly aril ancestry as well. Remarkably, it is still being grown today! Its muted bronze and gray colors are not to everyone's liking, and the stalks and petals are rather flimsy, but it grows and blooms prolifically and has been delighting gardeners for over a century.

'Zwanenburg'

In the middle of the 20th century, two developments occurred that paved the way for renewed interest in arilbred medians. The first was the development of the modern standard dwarf bearded irises (SDBs) from TBs crossed with the tiny dwarf species Iris pumila (see my blog post in July of this year here). The second was the creation of a "fertile family" of arilbreds from TB and aril breeding. Most earlier arilbreds had been quite sterile, which meant that new ones could only be created by working with the pure arils themselves, which are difficult to grow and breed with. The new fertile arilbreds meant that it was now relatively easy to produce all sorts of new irises with aril ancestry.

Since that time, crossing SDBs with fertile arilbreds has been the most common way to create arilbred medians. They vary a lot in height, but average around 18 inches high. These are only 1/4 aril, so often their aril characteristics are rather subtle. The best have obvious veining or a definite signal patch below the beard, and have a more globular flower form than do the intermediate bearded irises (IBs), which they otherwise resemble.

'Octave' (Johnson, 2008)

'Enigmatic Elf' (Jensen, 2007)

'Suspect' (Johnson, 2006)

Some small arilbreds were also produced by crossing SDBs or dwarf species directly with pure arils. Because they bypass the TB ancestry that comes in when using an arilbred parent, they are both smaller (averaging around 10 inches) and more aril-like.

'Loudmouth' (Rich, 1970)

'Tiny Pirate' (Rich, 1990)

'Vera-Marina' (Ransom, 1998)

Most arilbred medians carry genes from three distinct types of irises: arils, tall bearded, and dwarf bearded (usually Iris pumila), making them one of the most genetically rich types of irises you can grow. They really do have it all! This genetic diversity expresses itself in a wide range of colors and patterns, a wide range in height and garden uses, and adaptability to a range of climates. Their dwarf ancestry helps many of them deal with cool rainy climates better than the taller arilbreds, and conversely their aril ancestry helps them do better in mild-winter climates than the SDBs.

Most arilbred medians are sterile, but there are a few fertile ones from unusual breeding approaches. 'Aladdin's Gem' (Thoolen, 2002) has only Iris pumila and pure arils in its ancestry - no TB heritage at all! Likewise, 'Anacrusis' (Mathes, 1992) is derived from pure arils and the dwarf bearded species Iris suaveolens. It has a number of worthy descendants, including the striking and popular 'Concerto Grosso' (Mathes, 1998), which won the C. G. White Medal in 2005.

'Aladdin's Gem'

'Anacrusis'

'Concerto Grosso'

Have you tried any arilbred medians in your own garden? How do they do in your climate?