Sports of Honorabile & the Iris that Lost Its Name

By Mike Unser

In 2007 Clarence Mahan published a wonderful book titled Classic Irises and the Men and Women Who Created Them which contained a chapter about the Iris that lost its name - 'Sans Souci'. According to Mr. Mahan's thorough research what is commonly growing all over the US as 'Honorabile' is not; its really 'Sans Souci'. Click on the photos to embiggen.


The mixing of names for these two started very early on and were known to be confused when the 1929 Checklist was published. Given the similarity it is easy to see why this error came about. The real 'Honorabile' should have a solid red fall, not a thin layer washed across the yellow, as 'Sans Souci' displays. I've been unable to locate the real 'Honorabile', tho I have collected several of its sports. A sport is a vegetative mutation that is quite rare in irises, but Sans Souci and its brethren are well known for this trait, occasionally growing a new rhizome identical in all ways but color pattern. Here's a few that have been named and introduced over the years:








In 2008 a stalk on my clump of 'Joseph's Coat Katkamier' put out flowers in a most interesting pattern - each terminal bloom was perfectly split in half between the typical 'JCK' pattern and the 'Sans Souci' pattern, with buds on the right side branches being perfect 'SS' and buds on the left branches being perfect 'JCK' blooms.


Surprisingly it did this again on a stalk in 2009. I plan to separate it out this summer and see if it remains stable. I've also heard mention from other collectors of a sport that lost all its yellow pigment and is a perfect amoena, and another that lost all its pigments and was solid ivory.

This is a fun family of iris varieties, and being Miniature Tall Beardeds they don't take up much room in the garden. I highly recommend them as excellent garden plants and they are well known for their hardiness and vigor. The AIS Bulletin published Clarance Mahan's synopsis of his book's chapter on Honorabile and Sans Souci in the 2006 issue #341, which is reprinted here , and there's excellent information on the known sports in an article from ROOTS by noted expert Jean Witt which is also at HIPS' website

Classic Hybridizers: Eva Faught

By Mike Unser

Eva Faught was born in Shelbyville, Illinois, in 1888 to John and Eliza Fought (it is unknown why she spelled her last name differently from her parents). She spent her early professional years as a bacteriologist in Springfield, and relocated to Carbondale, IL, when the new offices of the State Department of Health were located there. It was here that she created a garden and started hybridizing with irises. She concentrated mainly on blue and white irises. She introduced irises thru the 1940s and 1950s. In 1955 she traveled abroad to England and then to South Africa, where she visited with her sister. A few years later she retired and moved to Cuernevaca, Mexico, where she built a small home in the style of the Midwest. She passed away in 1978 at the age of 90, having been cared for by an order of Mexican nuns in her final years.

Eva Faught was a very harsh critic of her own creations, and is said to have carried a machete with her during bloom season, ruthlessly slashing varieties to the ground that did not meet her exacting standards. Tho she was a prolific hybridizer and planted out thousands of seedlings each year, she only registered nine varieties from her garden: 'Cahokia' (1948), 'Carbondale' (1954), 'Eva Sloan' (1953), 'Illinois Sunshine' (1949), 'Lavone' (1954), 'Pierre Menard' (1948), 'Roxy' (1954), 'White Chalice' (1957), and 'White Peacock' (1944). It is unknown if the three from 1954 were ever introduced. Illinois Sunshine was a very popular yellow, but it was two of her blues, sister seedlings 'Cahokia' and 'Pierre Menard', that really brought her renown and a well-deserved place in Iris history.

'Cahokia' [above] is simply a perfect flower. It has a complex parentage involving three other classic irises: 'Santa Clara', 'Santa Barbara' and 'Purissima'. Cooley's Gardens catalog described it as: "Large exquisitely formed flowers of light butterfly-blue delicately veined deeper. There is no hint of lavender in the color and the haft is smooth and clean. Bright golden yellow beard." It really is an exceptional shade of blue, and the branching and growth habits are as good as the flowers are beautiful. The blooms are large on tall sturdy stems and often have three open at once. A high bud count keeps it blooming for a good while as well.

Pierre Menard is the name of a fictional author created in a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. It is also the name of one of the most important irises in the history of the development of our favorite garden flower [above, from Cooley's Gardens catalog for 1959]. 'Pierre Menard' can be found in the background of most of our modern blues because, like 'Cahokia', breeders loved its unique shade of blue and used it extensively in the creation of new varieties. Syllmar Gardens catalog for 1956 described it as: "Very large blooms of medium blue with horizontal falls. Excellent form and outstanding substance. There is a lot of blue to its coloring and the entire flower posses a lovely enamel finish. Good branching and vigorous growth. A really fine iris."

Miss Faught had a shorter career than most in the iris world, but made a very big impact. The development of modern blues would not have been the same without her contributions.

Update: it has been brought to my attention that Pierre Menard was a French fur trapper who became the state of Illinois' first lieutenant governor. Thanks to Keith Keppel for the info!

Thanks to Pam Thompson for genealogical information. Info also from AISB #110 July 1948 and AISB #227 Fall 1978.

Iris Classics: "Pretty Pansy"

By Mike Unser

From a cross of the lovely historic iris 'Bertha Gersdorff' by the classic 'Moonlit Sea' we were blessed with a new variety in the now-termed 'luminata' pattern: 'Pretty Pansy', a wonderful introduction from the Sass Bros. in 1946. They had often followed breeding lines where this rare and recessive pattern appeared so it was no surprise that this lovely flower would make a big splash in the iris world.

It was described in the Iris Test Gardens catalog for 1954 as:

" 'A purple and white of Moonlit Sea coloring without the yellow. 36 inch stems.' Our comment: 'Here is a knockout, different from anything we have seen, will attract attention anywhere. A fine thing.'"

A fine thing, indeed. The white heart combined with the fresh purple wash makes the entire bloom glow from within - grabbing the eye and pulling the viewer in. This pattern has often been followed and today has been expanded to many other color classes, but it all started back in the '40's when the Sass Brothers pursued their vision of what irises could be.

'Pretty Pansy' is an excellent grower and is easily found. Consider adding it to your garden. You won't be sorry.

Favorite Photos & Varieties from the 2013 Season, part 2

By Mike Unser

I hope you enjoyed that first set of photos from my garden this past season. We had so many beautiful blooms, even in a sparse year. Here's the second part of my presentation.

One of my favorites of Jim Gibson's plicatas is the charming 'Mod Mode' (1969). Could it be any prettier with its soft pink edging on a sparkling white ground?

Well, yes, it could! Take a peek inside the flower and check out its lovely heart. A suffusion of sunny yellow lights it up and compliments the pink and white tones perfectly. (click for larger photo)

'Old Black Magic' (Schreiners 1996) is one of a long line of stunning black irises from this famous hybridizing family. While I grow mostly historic irises, the tailored form of OBM is delightful and it is a favorite of garden visitors, too.

It also looks amazing when you take a peek inside. Such colors! Like a living kaleidoscope.

'Parthenon' (Connell, 1934) bloomed the first year in the garden, and my, wasn't it eye-catching. I admired it every time I passed by. Its creamy white infused with soft yellow really allowed it to catch the light.

'Pretty Butterfly' (Sass by Edinger, 1999) is an old Sass variety finally getting a proper registration in 1999. What a pattern! It was nice to see it again after several years of it settling in.

Dr. Kleinsorge's 'Rebellion' (1937) is not a flashy iris, nor an eye-catching one, but for those who notice it does intrigue. The deep smokey red tones are verging on brown. It always makes me think of old tapestries or Persian rugs.

Rhages is a perennial favoite and I was pleased as punch to capture this shot of it with the sun barely lighting it. Just magical.

Everyone raves over 'Tropical Butterfly' (Carstenson, 1963), and rightly so. Big, bold flowers of creamy yellow ground edged in bright red really brings the drama to the garden.

Paul Cook's classic Dyke's Medal winner, 'Whole Cloth' (1956), was a welcome sight. Having lost it several years ago in a move I was very pleased to see it showing off this year on an established clump. The soft blue and white is so fresh and lovely. You can see why it merited irisdom's top award in 1962.

Last, I'll share this pretty shot of an old French variety, 'Zwaneneburg' (Denis, 1912). It has aril in the ancestry yet does very well in my wet Pacific Northwest garden, blooming along with the late daffodils and complimenting them nicely. It is a very tough little iris and a reliable bloomer too. I really liked this shot with the yellow of the daffs behind it.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed a brief tour thru some of the flowers I enjoyed this spring and the photos I took of them. I find photographing my iris collection to be just as fun and rewarding as collecting them in the first place. It's not too late to enter your photos in the AIS Photo Contest. You can click here for information on how to enter. I'm looking forward to seeing your winning photo in an upcoming issue of the society's bulletin Irises.

Favorite Photos & Varieties from the 2013 Season

By Mike Unser

Here in the Pacific Northwest we had near perfect conditions for the iris season - warm early with plenty of rain and generally mild conditions. No late freezes to mar the blooms, no days on end of rain to wash them all out. It was too bad other factors (weeds, lack of fertilizer, recent division) kept us from having a really spectacular show in the garden. That said, many varieties did show off for us we welcomed them with plenty of admiration and fascination. They are truly marvelous in their variation. Today I'd like to show you some of the many photos I took this year of the many beautiful irises I grow. Hope you enjoy them!

First, a shot of a bed of intermediate varieties, some named, most not. The light yellow variety in this photo is 'Primavera' (Mohr-Mitchell, 1926). The a cool yellow flower with the color of fresh lemonade. It was spectacular in a three year clump bursting with bloomstalks.

Next a pretty little seedling of Siberian iris 'Flight Of Butterflies' (Witt, 1972). I liked it with the grays, yellows and greens of the pond area in the background.

Grace Sturtevant's lovely little creation, 'Afterglow', is not much for form, but the color tones are so lovely as the sun plays thru them across the day.

'Barbara Walther' (Casselman, 1959) sent up four very tall stalks bearing large, pristine white blooms. A real eye-catcher in the garden.

Next is Lloyd Zurbrigg's 'Chimera', an intermediate variety from 1961. It's metallic sheen glitters with diamond dusting, enhanced by the rain droplets it appears covered in jewels.

Violet Insole's 'classic, 'Dogrose' (1930), is a reliable bloomer and was showing off as pretty as ever this year.

The bewitching Border Bearded variety, 'Jungle Shadows', cast it's spell on us. Such a rich and subtle iris.

'Lovila' (Crandall, 1959) was glorious even after having been divided last year. Four stalks sent up a profusion of pale blue blooms over several weeks. I'm surprised this one is not more well known among lovers of historics.

Another IB that really took my breath away and had me coming back again and again is 'Maygold' (Nicholls, 1931). The color was just lovely - a creamy yellow bitone, but the standards were shot thru with golden threads giving it a gilded aspect. What a profuse bloomer too! And with its rounded, jaunty form it was a real standout - the 3 year clump had 21 bloomstalks!

These varieties were excellent garden plants this year and really made the season enjoyable. I look forward to seeing them blooming for me for years to come. There's more photos coming up, so check back later this week!

Iris Classics: 'Crimson King'

By Mike Unser

It's early spring here in the PNW, the daffodils are showing off, our native ribes are in full bloom and attracting a complement of hummingbirds, and the tulips are just showing a touch of color. As the first bits of green start to show on the trees another early bloomer is showing off as well - our old friend 'Crimson King' (Barr, 1893). The first bearded iris of the season here in Olympia is often 'Crimson King'. There is an old Victorian home that has been turned into apartments not far from my office, and the front has a south facing brick foundation in a sheltered area where this classic old variety has been growing for years. It has never been divided and reset in the 13 years I have been watching it, yet every spring it sends up a multitude of bloom stalks.



And what beautiful bloomstalks they are! Before a flower even shows they are adding color to the garden with their red-violet-tinged spathes. Soon enough the black buds burst forth into flowers of a beautiful shade of bright purple. Classed as an Intermediate Bearded iris, it grows around 2 feet in height in my garden. The Cornell Extension Bulletin 112 describes it as

"Color effect an intense violet-purple self. Standards pansy violet, lighter to yellowish claw and wavy along the edge. Falls continga purple, almost velvety in texture. The veining is boldly spaced on whitish outer haft, while those on Kochii are not so prominent. Its fragrance is good, its color very intense, and its spathe valves deeply tinged. The persistent green foliage is attractive in winter."

The substance is a bit lacking, but it is more than made up for with another trait - a tendency for repeat blooming.



When it is well established and happy, a clump of 'Crimson King' is likely to send up bloomstalks over a very long period of time. One after another the stalks send out blooms, lasting an entire two-month period in my garden one year. In warm climates it has been known to rebloom in summer, as well as showing up unexpectedly at other times of the year. One of the hardiest and most carefree irises known, this is a favorite of many collectors of historics, and is easy to find. Hybridizers have since created many varieties that fit the term crimson better, but there is no doubt this one remains the King of early spring.

Exploring the Mysteries of Bloom Season & Height: The Historics

By Mike Unser

One of the first things anyone beginning to research historic bearded irises is confronted with is the often contradictory designations about the classification of varieties by size and/or bloom season. It is difficult enough to get an idea of these terms in just the bearded iris realm, but it is even more confusing when you realize that other species may conform to their own definitions. For the next several weeks we'll be exploring the different aspects of these topics here on World Of Irises, and I'd like to start by clearing up a little confusion for those new to historic bearded irises.

When the American Iris Society was first formed in 1920 one of the first major projects they instigated was a census of all the literature regarding irises, which was used to create a Checklist of all known cultivars to that date. This was a years long undertaking of Ethel Anson S. Peckham first published in 1929 and remains the premiere work of its type in irises. This, along with registering new cultivars, was an attempt to bring order to a chaotic situation, to sort out authentically named varieties from impostors, as well as to bring worthy varieties with correct names to prominence and to document their parentage in order to bring organized principles to the improvement of the genus. In 1939 a revised and updated Checklist was published that built on the earlier work and expanded it enormously. It is an invaluable tool for anyone interested in the history of garden irises, and we owe Mrs. Peckham a great deal of gratitude.

One of the first things one will notice when comparing current glossaries with the original checklist is that the designations for bearded irises fall into just three classes: dwarf (DB), intermediate (IB) and tall (TB). This continues into the 1949 Checklist. With the 1959 Checklist we finally see the classifications we are currently used to: the dwarfs have been split into Miniature Dwarf Bearded (MDB) and Standard Dwarf Bearded (SDB), IB is still there with some alteration, Miniature Tall Bearded (MTB) and Border Bearded (BB) are new, and with TB still at the end but not with the same in definition as before. Bob Pries wrote in a recent article in Flags:

TBs were defined in 1939 as irises over 17 inches tall and Dwarfs were up to and including seventeen inches. Of course the Dwarfs had not yet been split into miniature dwarfs and standard dwarfs. The median classes, of MTB, BB, and IB did not quite exist between 17 and 27½ inches. I say not quite because the talls of the time were also sorted by bloom time with the class of IB. But IB, or intermediate bearded referred to bloom time and did not have a sharp cut-off of 27½ inches.

And that is where the confusion mainly comes in - Intermediate Bearded originally referred to season of bloom, not height or size. The first crosses between dwarfs and talls resulted in varieties of all heights that mainly bloomed after the dwarfs and before the talls, and that is what was used to distinguish the different classes. In the 1950's the AIS instigated a further division and reclassification into the current model, using not only bloom time but height, bloom size and other attributes to determine how a variety was to be classed. Now, IBs need to not only bloom between the dwarfs and the talls, but have an ideal range for height, bloom size and other attributes as well. The dwarfs and talls have similarly been broken down into more specific classifications. In the early 1960's older varieties were reclassed in a new Median Iris Checklist to bring them into as close of conformity as could be determined to the new model.

All of these changing definitions can be very confusing for someone new to the history of irises to sort out, but once this basic timeline and 'definition drift' has been taken into account we can better make use of the published materials that are so important to the historic iris enthusiast.

The following are a few examples of some historic irises that have been reclassified from their original designations into our modern system of designation.

One of the most widely grown irises that has been reclassified is 'Sans Souci' (Van Houtte, 1854), one of the many sports of 'Honorabile', a variety with proven hardiness and a penchant for throwing out sports of its own. 'Sans Souci' had been classed as a Tall Bearded variety originally, but is now listed as a Miniature Tall Bearded. Oddly, 'Honorabile', to which it is identical in all respects but color expression and tone, was originally classed as an IB. All the sports in this family are now classed as MTBs.

'Titmouse' (Williamson, 1934), was originally classed as an Intermediate Bearded iris, but has also been moved to the ranks of the MTBs.

Grace Sturtevant's lovely little 'Tid-Bit' (1925) is an example of a variety formerly listed as a dwarf Bearded that has moved on up to MTB as well.

Three irises originally in different classes, now sharing the same designation. Is it any wonder folks get confused when researching historic irises? The new designations are not always a perfect fit, but they are the best we can do with varieties that were never created to conform to our current standards. In upcoming posts our other authors will explore how bloom season and height designations are treated in the median and tall bearded classes currently, as well as how these are classed in other iris species. Stay tuned!

Iris Classics: 'Az Ap'

By Mike Unser

For those of you familiar with my 'Iris Classics' posts you may be surprised at this selection. Instead of the usual antique from the dawn of iris history, this week I'd like to highlight an iris that is just barely historic by current standards. In 1980 Allan Esminger introduced his Intermediate Bearded masterpiece 'Az Ap' thru Varigay Gardens, and what a stellar iris it is! It begins blooming with the other IBs at the tail of the SDB season, but it just keeps going, & keeps going, & then puts out still more stalks well into the mid-to-late Tall Bearded season here in my PNW garden.

Averaging 20" here, it is a charming variety with flare and personality in spades. The abundant blooms are a lovely pale blue washed and flecked deeper medium blue with a blue beard, lightly ruffled and heavily diamond dusted. The nicely branched stalks come loaded with multiple buds and a mature clump puts on a phenomenal show over a long period. The foliage is clean, the plant vigorous and reliable of bloom - in every respect it is a great garden plant, and an asset to the iris family.

It has a very involved parentage: 'Charmed Circle' X 73-1: (('Spring Salute' x (('Patience' x Welch N503) x ('Jungle Shadows' x pumila))) x ((('Jungle Shadows' x pumila) x ('Jungle Shadows' x 'Cretica')) x (('Jungle Shadows' x 'Cretica') x Kavan 11-66))). Interesting that it heavily features one of my all time favorites, 'Jungle Shadows'. Such good quality has not gone unrecognized: It won Honorable Mention in 1982; Award of Merit in 1984; and the Sass Medal in 1987.

It catches the sun and reflects back warmth and loveliness in abundance. In my opinion it is one of the very best of its class, and one other IBs should be judged against. If you are looking for impeccable performance along with unparalleled beauty you would be wise to incorporate 'Az Ap' into your garden. It is a classic, without a doubt.

Broken Color: Iris Color Terminology By Mike Unser

Of the many color patterns available in bearded irises perhaps none is so striking as that of the 'broken color' varieties. In color breaking, a genetic instability causes the colors and/or patterns of the iris to express irregularly giving a flower that is splish-splashed in a more or less haphazard fashion. No two blooms are ever just alike, and they can create a very lively and exuberant effect in the flower garden. Visitors that are unfamiliar with them always exclaim over the novelty. I'd like to share with you some of the varieties I have enjoyed over the years.

First up is a very old French variety now called 'Victorine'. It was likely introduced by Lémon back in the 1840s under the name 'Victoire Lemon', named for his mother. The names were later confused and this iris in now grown in the US as 'Victorine'. A charming diploid variety in the amoena pattern with rich purple falls edged white under clean, white standards which are splashed on the inside of the petal with the dark purple of the falls. Very striking.

Another classic from the earliest days of iris hybridizing is one of the most widely known and grown: 'Loreley' by the German firm Goos & Koenemann, introduced in 1909. This is a very tough and hardy iris, and is widely grown as it can thrive just fine in neglected situations. Not the prettiest for form, it is nevertheless treasured for its beautiful colors. The falls are purple veined white and edged golden yellow, while the golden yellow standards are wide open and flecked with bits of the fall pattern - not just the purple, but the white striping too! Very unusual.

Next up are two varieties introduced by A.B. Katkamier. Both are sports in the 'Honorabile' family. This family of sports is widely known for its breaking of color and pattern. The novelty has made them very popular with collectors, who are always on the lookout for a new sport to appear in their beds. First up is 'Kaleidoscope' from 1929. A beguiling Miniature Tall Bearded flower with deep golden standards over lighter yellow falls that are splashed with shards of red and white.

'Joseph's Coat Katkamier' is a merry madcap of color with white, yellow, violet and red all appearing across the bloom in irregular profusion. This one was introduced in 1930, but was not officially registered until 1989. I think a clump of this in bloom adds a very whimsical note to the garden. You can learn more about this family in Jean Witt's article Notes on Honorabile, along with an excellent follow-up by Clarence Mahan on the HIPS website.

In 1956 Edward Watkins registered 'Corsage', his new variety that had been introduced the year before by Tell Muhlstein. A frothy confection of white and lemon yellow haphazardly arranged so that no two blooms are alike. It's lovely grown in a bed with pastel pinks and blues.

Another variety in almost the same color tones is 'Buttered Popcorn' (Palmer, 1970). This time the large ruffled blooms are creamy white drizzled with a soft, buttery yellow all about the standards and falls in a subtle drip-like pattern. The name could not be more perfect.

'Minnesota Mixed-up Kid' is a charming Border Bearded variety that has been known and grown since the early 1970's, tho it was not officially registered until 2003. It always makes me think of birthday parties with its lively coloration. A cream toned bloom deepening to golden yellow at the heart and speckled liberally with fuchsia freckles. An excellent grower and reliable bloomer, it elicits attention from every visitor.

In 1986 Allan Esminger introduced his new creation which went on to win award after award culminating in the Knowlton Medal in 1992. It is perhaps the best known broken color iris around today and is extremely popular with the gardening public. Big ruffled flowers are grounded white and heavily lined with royal purple. An excellent grower and bloomer, it is also known to occasionally sport a plicata bloom or two. In this pic you can see one of the standards and part of a fall are showing white edged purple.

'Batik's' awards and acclaim inspired others to start hybridizing for this broken color trait and in the 1990's Brad Kasperek began selling new varieties of his creation out of his aptly named Zebra Gardens, in Utah. Using a combination of eye catching flowers and creative names he really made a mark on the iris world and established this pattern as a real presence in bearded irises. One of my favorites of Brad's is 1993's 'Tiger Honey'. A beautifully tailored flower of honey-gold striped lighter gold and cream white. I don't grow many modern irises but I'll always make room for this and the following two Kasperek varieties.

The amusingly named 'Baboon Bottom' is an Intermediate Bearded iris of Brad's from 1994. An old rose pink striped and splashed light pink and white, it has not been the best grower for me in the cold and wet PNW but it manages to show off for me every few years and is always welcome when it does. It won the Knowlton Medal in 2002.

I'll leave you with two photos of my favorite of all the broken color irises I grow: 'Bewilderbeast', from 1995. An extravagant flower with falls of cream white ground and yellow shoulders all heavily striped with a rich deep mauve; silvery white standards are striped lighter mauve. A reliable bloomer and excellent grower, a clump of this is easy to achieve and stunning in full bloom. I would love to have seen this one win the Dyke's Medal.

I hope you've enjoyed this peek into a few of the varieties showing the unstable genes now known as the Broken Color pattern. Maybe you'll add a few to your garden, or share the ones you're growing now on our Facebook page. If you're looking for more on historic irises please visit the HIPS website. The latest edition of our eZine Flags is now available for download.