Caroline DeForest registered her creation 'Bayberry Candle' in 1966, and it was released to the public a few years later. It quickly started racking up well deserved awards at iris shows, receiving an Honorable Mention in 1970 and an Award of Merit in 1972. This variety has every good quality one could want in a tall bearded iris: vigorous growth habits, proven hardiness, disease resistant foliage, tall, strong stems, loads of buds and show bench quality blooms and branching. The flowers were a unique color tone for the day. From Fleur de Lis Gardens catalog for 1970:
A wonderful showy new iris in an entirely new color. Almost a brass green, it is a bicolor with rich Chartreuse Lime standards and really quite brilliant golden falls toned Olive green with the color intensified to deep olive around the bright golden beard. The whole flower has a brassy metallic like overtone that makes it really stand out. Flowers are large and have excellent form and ultra heavy substance. One of our favorites.
You might think such an odd color combination would be difficult to use in the garden, but not so. Once you see it combined with rich purples, rusts and reds you'll love the note it adds to the floral palette. Here it is planted with the deep red 'Spiked Punch', 'Black Castle', purple lupines, the rusty orange of 'Gingersnap', and in the back ground 'Siva Siva and 'Radiant Apogee'.
'Bayberry Candle' is as great today as it was when it was first introduced - if you enjoy irises with unique colors this one would be an excellent addition to your garden.
