Photo Essay: Kleinsorge Browns

by Mike Unser

Dr. Rudolph E. Kleinsorge introduced his creations from 1929 to 1962. He was renowned for his brown and brown-blended irises, many of which were instrumental in the development and advancement of later varieties. In this photo essay, I share a selection of his brown varieties that I grow. They are listed alphabetically with year of introduction in parenthesis.

'Aztec Copper' (1939) displays colors of smoky violet blended with copper.

'Beechleaf' (1955) has a brown self pattern overlaid with violet.

'Black and Gold' (1943) with striking variegata pattern.

'Bryce Canyon' (1944) is named for displaying similar colors to the rock formations in the National Park in Utah.

'Buckskin' (1939) with namesake tan color.

'Calcutta' (1938) has delicate tones of cocoa-brown.

'Crown Prince' (1932) is a variegata with orange-yellow standards and dark, red-brown falls.

'El Paso' (1949) has a luminous, golden-brown color.

'Fortune' (1941) with lively old-gold coloration. 

'Gypsy' (1944) with delicate coppery-gold standards and solid chestnut brown falls.

'Oregon Trail' (1943) was named to honor the 100th anniversary of the Oregon statehood.

'Pretty Quadroon' (1948) in coppery tan with brown beards.

'Thotmes III' (1950) was named for a pharaoh who sent an expedition to gather plants, which included irises.

 

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Kleinsorge, I created a video presentation about his life and legacy in irises.

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.

The Beginnings of Tall Bearded Irises

by Bob Pries

My first blog! I thought I might start off with some thoughts about another beginning which occurred about 200 years ago. For years I wondered what the first tall-bearded irises actually looked like. Here is what I've found.

Circa 1820, E. Van Berg of Neuenkirche, Germany and Marie-Guillaume de Bure of Paris, France began naming cultivated varieties from the bee crosses appearing in their gardens. Van Berg did not introduce his selections into commerce. On the other hand, De Bure is noted for the first named and introduced cultivar ‘Buriensis’---which he named after himself. It was said to have a plicata pattern similar to the later ‘Madame Chereau’ but larger with more rosy markings outlining the white flower.

Although considered an “amateur” in 1848, De Bure was said to have the largest collection of irises in France. The book “The World of Irises” (available through the American Iris Society Storefront) credits De Bure for setting in motion the train of events which led to all present-day iris societies. It makes me wonder, "How many bearded irises did De Bure have in his collection?" By 1830, De Bure’s work had inspired fellow Parisian Henri-Antoine Jacques, the horticulturalist famed for introducing the Bourbon Roses. Perhaps his only surviving cultivar is ‘Aurea.’ Jacques in turn, inspired Nicolas Lémon of nearby Belleville, France (which was later annexed into the city of Paris).

Lémon was noted for growing thousands of seedlings. He did not bother with hand pollination and was quite happy with the work the bees produced. Nonetheless in 1840 he put irises on the map by offering 100 varieties for sale to the public.

 

This plate appears within Portefeuille des horticulteurs. Vol 2 (1848) with a nine page description

Between 1840-1850, Lémon continued to offer hundreds of irises for sale each year. To find descriptions of these irises we must go to the French literature. I am greatly thankful to Sylvain Ruaud and other members of the Société Française des Iris et plantes Bulbeuses for providing links to these descriptions of the Lémon varieties. Readers can find these by going to Lémon’s hybridizer page in the Iris Encyclopedia where you will find lists of his cultivars and linked references. The following plates show more of Lemon’s irises.

This plate appears within Bulletin du Cercle Général dHorticulture (1856)

American plant catalogs of this period rarely gave descriptions of these bearded hybrids and usually only offered collections of fifty or one hundred “germanica” irises. Although these bearded hybrids were often referred to as Iris germanica, it is likely that all of them had only Iris pallida and Iris variegata in their backgrounds. Experimental breeding between the two species by Sir Michael Foster, (of Trinity College in Cambridge, England) showed this to be the case. Since both species had chromosome numbers of 2n=24, their offspring were all fertile with each other also. Germanica irises grown in gardens at the time were probably ‘Grandmas’ Blue Flags’ a sterile triploid.

It was probably not until about 1885-1890 that fertile tetraploid Iris germanica was collected from Amasia, Turkey and Foster started entering true germanica irises into breeding. Lémon’s irises were all diploid, while Foster's ‘Amas’ was tetraploid. Thus, the early diploid irises really formed a fertile family distinct from today’s tetraploid tall bearded. The Lémon hybrids had more affinity to today’s diploid miniature tall bearded than to our modern tall bearded. The few that remain of the earlier group provide a delicate charm and grace to modern landscapes. I would love to see more images of them in the Iris Encyclopedia.

Historical Japanese Irises

by Chad Harris

For the past two years (2015-2016) Mt Pleasant Iris Farm has been very fortunate to be the recipients of many historic Iris ensata (Japanese iris) from their homeland. Most of these plants are "Historic," never have been in the United States nor registered with the American Iris Society. I have been asked not only to register these but also, when the stock increases, to distribute them to the open market for prosperity.

This is the beginning of a photo journal of one of the two beds that will be posted and updated until they bloom.

This bed was planted last summer with 53 irises most no larger than the end of a thumb. Originally 6 were deemed to be lost; however, at today's count it seems that only 2 are not coming up.

At this time half will try to bloom this year. Looking forward to the bloom and the journey!

Just a few weeks later (4/15) and the iris have not only woken from their winter rest but have more than doubled in size. I can hardly wait until the bloom in about two months.

May 21 with the heat setting off an early spring, the plants have doubled and are now waist high with buds starting to show.

June 12 and the maiden bloom of the plants are showing the many colors and different flower forms that can be found with the Japanese iris, Iris ensata.

A more detailed look to the different flower forms, colors, and blooming habits will be presented by Chad Harris at the Society for Japanese Iris Section Program in Des Moines, Iowa at the American Iris Society National Convention May 22-27, 2017 titled “Old There, New Here” a look at historic Japanese irises. For more information about the National, click here to go to the website.

Editor's Note: Most of this blog first appeared on Chad Harris's garden site: Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm. While specializing in water land irises of Asia, there is a good listing of other types of irises too.

An Iris by Any Other Name

by Tom Waters

'Catchy Name' (Seligmann, 1983)

One of the things you may notice about serious iris enthusiasts (sometimes known as “irisarians”), as opposed to gardeners who casually grow a few, is an obsession with names. We go around earnestly correcting the names of irises people share on line or in person, sometimes even to the point of calling out minor spelling errors.

What is this about? Surely the flower’s loveliness and welcome presence in our gardens doesn’t depend on its name. Why is it so important to some of us enthusiasts?

It’s one of those things that most of us get very much indoctrinated about, early on in the learning process, as the iris hobby becomes more and more serious. It’s been part of iris culture for generations.

At one time, you see, names were in a state of chaos. The same plant would be passed around under any number of different names, and similar plants were sold or shared under the same name. Names would be casually translated from one language to another, with no one quite sure if they were meant to refer to the same plant or not. One of the first goals of the American Iris Society in the 1920s was to try to straighten out the confusion, by carefully documenting names from old magazine articles and catalogs and compiling a checklist. The American Iris Society is the international registration authority for all irises except those that grow from bulbs (like Dutch Iris and reticulatas). Ideally, every name is registered with the AIS along with a careful description before the iris it belongs to is sold or shared.

Iris pallida variegata, sometimes grown under the incorrect name "Zebra"

Without this care, the names become practically meaningless, and one cannot reliably purchase a particular cultivar or discuss its qualities with other growers.

This is especially important because so many irises resemble others, at least at first glance. Casual gardeners may be inclined to think that all pink irises are the same, or that the one they just bought from a garden center is “the same iris” grandma grew years ago, because they are both purple.

Any time an iris is sold or shared under an incorrect name, it makes headaches for those further down the line who want to know which iris they actually have.

Irises whose names are unknown are these days often called “noids” (for “no ID”). The term is cute and memorable, but alas it’s too close to the name of a well-known hybridizer of some decades past, Luella Noyd, so I prefer to avoid it. I’ve also seen them spoken of as UFOs (unidentified flowering objects).

 

The Internet has taken the problem of identifying irises to a whole new level. It has made it 100 times easier to get information on any subject, but 10,000 easier to get bad information on any subject, it seems. Every day, people post photos of irises asking for the name, and often just accept the first answer someone throws out. That can be worse than having no answer at all!

Very few irises are so distinctive that they can be unambiguously identified at a glance from a single photo. The only way to check a tentative identification is to acquire the true plant from a reliable source and grow it alongside your own. They should be identical in detail.

BB 'Oops' (Craig, 2003)

So what is a “reliable source”? The “big box” stores are notorious in selling mislabeled irises. Local garden centers are better, but still make quite a few mistakes. Iris sellers on Ebay are all over the map in terms of reliability. Your best bet is to stick to sellers who specialize in irises. Even that is not foolproof. A few years ago, I ordered the iris ‘Orange Crush’ from an iris grower with impeccable credentials. When it bloomed, it was not even the right color! I wrote to him and inquired about it. It turns out he grows his plants in alphabetical order, and the one I got was the previous one in the alphabet. Its name? ‘Oops’. That gave us a chuckle.

Some name confusions have been going on for so long that it can be quite difficult to sort them out. When I started growing irises in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the 1970s, a number of local growers had a historic iris ‘Mme. Chereau’. We all loved it, not least because it had been around since 1844! It turned out the plant we were all growing was actually an even older cultivar, ‘Swerti’. But because we had all seen it in each others’ gardens, we “knew” it was ‘Mme. Chereau’.  A photo of the impostor even made it into the American Iris Society book, The World of Irises, showing how difficult it can be to be sure of identifications, even on the best authority.

'Mme. Chereau' (Lemon, 1844)
photo: Mike Starhill

'Swerti'

Aware of this long-standing confusion, I resolved a couple years ago to grow these two irises in my garden and familiarize myself with their differences. Ironically, the ‘Mme. Chereau’ I acquired to make the comparison turned out to be – you guessed it! – ‘Swerti’.

A word of caution: The on-line Iris Encyclopedia, although hosted by the American Iris Society, is (like Wikipedia) maintained by users, and is not authoritative. The entries for some irises have incorrect photos.

For older irises, the Historic Iris Preservation Society is the best source of identification expertise. HIPS is home to experts who have made identification of older cultivars into a passion, delving into the subject with persistence and dedication, unearthing old photographs, documents, and descriptions. There are some confusions so old and entrenched, however, that even the experts can hold different views. Some irises have had whole articles and book chapters written about them, as researchers struggle to sort out their identity.

But you don’t have to be an expert to help with the problem of misidentified irises. Anyone can help by following one simple rule: don’t pass an iris around unless you are sure it is correctly named. If it came to you without a name, this will often mean growing the real thing side by side with your orphan. Even passing an iris on saying that you don’t know its name is not a good idea. Inevitably, someone down the line will be growing it and decide they “know” what it is anyway!

A second bit of advice: Don’t become indignant or defensive when someone tells you your iris is misidentified. It’s not a criticism, it’s a gift of better information than you had before! A thank-you is the appropriate response.

unidentified yellow TB

Some growers just destroy anything they are not sure of. That’s one way solve the problem, but sometimes an unidentified iris just pleads with you to give it a home. When we moved into our present house, there were some irises growing on the property. They turned out to be a yellow tall bearded, apparently of mid-twentieth-century vintage. They outperform almost everything else I grow, with tall stalks, clear color, and a long period of bloom. It’s hard to say good-bye to one of the best irises you have! I suspect this iris is the classic variety ‘Ola Kala’, but I will not share it under that name until such time as it passes the side-by-side test.

The Curse of 'Ola Kala'

By Mike Unser

The Dykes Memorial Medal is the highest award an iris variety can win and is highly coveted by hybridizers. It represents, we hope, the creme de la creme of the iris world. But for every winner there are those that came so close, but didn't quite make it. This is the story of two varieties thwarted from the top spot by the same iris. 

Dr. Rudolph E. Kleinsorge was a celebrated hybridizer in his day, introducing iris varieties from 1929 through 1961. He created many significant varieties that were not only good garden plants but also advances in color that changed the iris palette forever. One thing he never did achieve was a Dykes Medal, however he did come very close. He thrice missed the top spot by slim margins. And, oddly, it was the same variety that beat his two of those times.

In 1945 his lovely pink blend 'Daybreak' came in second to 'Elmohr'. In 1946 it tied for the top spot with  'Ola Kala', the renowned golden yellow masterpiece from Jacob Sass, and no award was given that year. In 1948 the Doctor's next great advance, 'Bryce Canyon', was a runner up to that year's winner - 'Ola Kala'. Talk about a curse! 'Ola Kala' was not OK for the good Doctor*.

'Ola Kala' deserves its place. It was an amazing advance for yellow irises, bringing great depth of color, lovely form, and much needed height to a class that was begging for improvement. It is sad that it eclipsed the fine advances that both 'Daybreak' and 'Bryce Canyon' also brought to the table, but such is the cast of the die. Thankfully all three of these wonderful varieties are still with us, and we can grow them and judge for ourselves which are deserving in our own eye of top honors. 

*Much thanks to Phil Edinger for the info and clever turn of phrase that inspired this post.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

                                                           by Dawn Mumford

On May 31st of this year we enjoyed some visitors to our iris garden.  There were about 20 members of the American and Utah Iris Societies.  They took pictures, smelled the aromas, looked at the flowers and "talked iris."  I invited our guests to come in the house when they were done in the garden to have some chilled bottled water.  I asked one of the gentlemen if he particularly liked any of the irises and he replied that he had made a list.  He was interested in those irises that were 30 years old and older.  According to him, that is how old they had to be to be considered "historic."  It was at that moment that I realized how many I had that fit into that category.  I hadn't looked at our irises that way.  We have been growing irises since the 1980's and many were several years old when we bought them.  That visitor made me look at my irises in a new light.  I would like to share some of my favorite "oldies but goodies." here today.

'Aztec Treasure' ( R. and L. Miller 1984) 

This bitone shows nice ruffling on both the falls and the standards.  

'Praise The Lord' (Boushay 1972) 

This self has rich blue color and contrasting white beards. 

'Gold Trimmings'  (Schreiner 1975)

Despite its age this iris has graceful ruffling and good branching.

  'Chartreuse Ruffles'  (Rudolph 1976)

I like the subtle coloring of this lilac, white, and chartreuse (green and yellow) bloom.

I don't advocate ridding the garden of new irises to plant only older varieties.  But there are lots and lots of beautiful older irises that we should protect and not get rid of just for the sake of having something newer and marginally better.  I grow the newer irises too and they are wonderful, but I have the luxury of plenty of room to put in the new ones without getting rid of the old ones.  If you don't have the space for both old and new then you have a hard choice to make. 

'Invitation'  (Schreiner 1982)

This amoena has little ruffling or lace but has an elegant color combination.



 'Heather Cloud'  (B. Hammer)  has much the same color combination as 'Celebration Song'. 

   

'Extravagant' (Hamblen 1983)

This is one of my last to bloom and still surprises me with its beauty.

'Chocolate Shake'  (Gibson 1982)

This one doesn't increase well for me but I like how unusual the colors are.



'Lemon Mist'  (Rudolph 1971) 

Blooms and blooms here and increases yearly.

'Gay Parasol' (Schreiner 1974)

This one is not a big bloom but has beautiful form and color.



   'Geniality' (O. Brown 1981)

There is nothing old fashioned about this bloom.   

"Beyond'  (Gibson 1979)

A 35 year old plicata (stitched or stippled margin color on white or dots or peppering).

 'Showcase'  (Schreiner 1972)
Lots of color contrast in this plicata.

' Bayberry Candle'  (C. DeForest 1969)

 'Desert Mist'  (Williamson 1980)

'Sky Hooks'  (Osborne 1980)

What are some of your favorite older irises?  If you have limited space, how do you make the decision on which ones to grow?   How do you choose your irises?  Is it based on color, form, time of year it blooms or by the hybridizers and the year?  Is it by hardiness or cost?  In the past I have just chosen irises based on color and form but I am learning to pay more attention to the name of the hybridizer and the year it was introduced.  It is a surprise to me that I have chosen so many historics.  And remember, each year more historics are added to the list!