Luminatas: Iris Color Terminology

By Renee Fraser


Flowers that glow?    LUMINATA.  A wonderful word and so very descriptive of these irises.  A luminata is a white or yellow flower with color washed over it.  The lighter shade bleeds through, which makes the flower look as though it is lit from within. After amoenas, I am in love with luminatas.  I grow a number of them and they never disappoint.  


My very first order of irises included a luminata, 'New Leaf'.  This iris has been blooming its fool head off for me in Southern California for years and years.  It likes it here so much that it reblooms some years!  

'New Leaf' is extraordinarity photogenic, as are most luminatas.  I may have more pictures of it than I have of my dog.

"New Leaf"  Ghio, 1997

'New Leaf' with Marmalade Skies rose and 'Venetian Queen' in the background

'Moonlit Sea' is a justly famous historic luminata that is still a favorite in the garden.  The colors are particularly lovely, and the long romantically draping falls give it an elegant appearance.

'Moonlit Sea' Sass 1942  Photo by Margie Valenzuela

Two more recent introductions with similar coloration are 'Mindreader' and 'Telepathy'.  Margie Valenzuela, a hybridizer who lives in arid and hot Arizona, says 'Mindreader' does better in her heat.  Here is her photo of it in morning sun.

'Mindreader'  

Here is 'Telepathy'.  I am hoping it will give an impressive display this year, its third year in my garden.  Oddly, in my garden this year it rebloomed beginning in November, although it is not normally a rebloomer.

"Telepathy" Keppel, 2002

'Telepathy' in December

Margie also grows 'Flights of Fancy'.  Look at the healthy leaves and the profusion of blooms!

'Flights of Fancy'  

My most recently acquired luminata is 'Daughter of Stars', a rebloomer.  I don't have this color in my garden.  I didn't want this color in my garden.  But how can one stick to a pre-planned color scheme when faced with this?

"Daughter of Stars" Rebloomer, Spoon, 2001

Some people are under the mistaken impression that luminatas have some sort of a virus which results in their lovely coloration.  This is not the case.  Although viruses can cause broken colored patterns, these lovelies get their patterns from careful hybridization, not from disease, so you do not have to resist them for that reason.

Do you grow luminatas?  How do they do in your garden, and which is your favorite?

Amoenas: Iris Color Terminology

By Renee Fraser

When I received my first Schreiner's Catalog in the mail about fifteen years ago, I was bewildered by all of the terminology in the iris descriptions.  What could the word "self" possibly mean in relation to an iris?  And amoena looks like a type of tidepool creature.  Plicata, although fun to say, sounds like either a musical term or a type of pasta.  As I pored over the catalog, I slowly began to learn the differences.  For those of you who are new to irises, I hope this series of short posts on iris color classes will speed up the learning process.

An AMOENA  is an iris with white standards and colored falls.  It's my very favorite color pattern, and was the first color type of iris I ever bought from a catalog.  The iris below is called 'Fashion Passion', a tall and vigorous bloomer in here in Southern California.

'Fashion Passion" Burseen, 1992

 Perhaps the most famous amoena is 'Wabash', an historic iris that is still among the most popular irises in commerce.  The falls on this iris seem to have a neon glow.  I'm still searching for a photo of this iris I saw years ago that made my eyes wide with desire.  When I find it, I'll share it with you.  For now, look at this gorgeous clump from the Delaware Valley Iris Society.  

"Wabash" Williamson, 1936   Photo by CA Moyer

A favorite of mine is 'Ringo', even though it does not like me much.
I love the white rim around the falls.

"Ringo" Shoop, 1979 Photo by Betty Jacobs

Above all other flowers, I am smitten with red amoenas.  I am still looking for one with solid red falls that will grow well for me.  Although 'Looky Loo' has sanded instead of solid falls, it comes very close to my idea of flower color perfection.

"Looky Loo"  Ernst, 2005

Something about that frothy white whipped cream on top makes me amoena crazy.  Do you have a favorite amoena?  What color would you like to see in the falls with that lovely white?