Iris Serendipity

By Bryce Williamson

Serendipity, meaning a fortunate happenstance or pleasant surprise, was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754. The notion of serendipity is a common occurrence throughout the history of scientific innovation such as Alexander Fleming's accidental discovery of penicillin in 1928, the invention of the microwave oven by Percy Spencer in 1945, and the invention of the Post-it note by Spencer Silver in 1968.

In the world of iris hybridizing, serendipity also plays an important role. In his recent blog, “Arilbred Irises: A Little History,”  Tom Waters wrote about “the iris 'William Mohr' that was essentially sterile….And occasionally 'William Mohr' would reward such persistence by producing a seed or two. We now understand that these seeds were the result of unreduced gametes, where an ovule is produced by bypassing the normal cell division.” From those beginnings, the Mohr class was born, a class of irises grow that with relative ease and have flowers with many aril characteristics. Today's Mohr types irises, as seen below, have come a long way in flower form and patterns.

Perry Dyer (Black '17)--Paul Black image

Confederate (Tasco '17-- Mohr type aril-median)

Photo by Rick Tasco

Unreduced gametes have also shaped other tall bearded irises of today. Snow Flurry is perhaps the most famous of those creations. Other hybridizers have followed this path.

Snow Flurry (Clara Rees)--photo by Rick Tasco

Writing on his Facebook page in 2016, noted iris authority Keith Keppel wrote that “in the 1930's, hybridizer Paul Cook crossed the greenish yellow diploid species Iris imbricata with a diploid ‘pallida pink’ seedling. A resultant seedling was then crossed to a tetraploid blue, and he obtained a seedling with standards somewhat darker than the falls.”

Then serendipity intervened and “He accomplished two things: (1) bringing imbricata genes into the tetraploid TB mix and (2) producing a blue with noticeably darker standards, the start of a reverse blue amoena. Interesting to note: he had begun the imbricata project hoping it would aid in the clarification of blue TB pigments; instead, he started a reverse amoena line."

Iris imbricata photo by Lloyd Baumunk

Mr. Keppel goes on to write, “A good hybridizer makes a cross for a purpose; a great hybridizer recognizes when something unexpected appears, goes off on a tangent, and develops something entirely different. Four generations from the initial imbricata cross, Cook introduced Wide World (1954) and the reverse amoena rush began.

Wide World (Cook)--photo by Milan Blažek 

               “As time went on, depth of color and degree of contrast increased. Breeders began crossing these reverse amoenas with carotene pigment (oil soluble, warm colors) carriers and the reverse amoenas evolved into all manner of combinations of "reverse bicolors". Although many breeders were involved, it was George Shoop who made the most (and the most innovative) introductions of this new genre....his beloved 'dark tops.'"

Crowned Heads (Keppel)--photo by Jeanette Graham

Spring Tidings (Shoop) photo by Colleen Modra

Mood Ring (Keppel '17)--photo by Brad Collins

George Sutton Y-5-B image by Mike Sutton

These serendipity events may have value even today. In recent years, Mr. Keppel has been involved in what could be seen as an exercise in futility. He has been using “Iris albertii, a diploid species, (that) seems not to be in the general gene pool of modern tall beardeds.”

Iris albertii--photo by Keith Keppel

As he writes, “So.....why not....cross with tetraploids and see what happens? Easier said than done. Of many crosses made, only one....Smash X albertii....yielded seed: six seeds with two germinating and one lasting to bloom, 05-4A. If nothing else, the albertii shoulder patterning came through!

Smash (Craig)--photo by Vicki Craig

Keppel 05-4A--photo by Keith Keppel

Keppel 12-120A--photo by Keith Keppel

A good grower, 05-4A blooms prolifically, but is a problem in crossing. About every third cross produces a pod. About every third pod is not a false pregnancy, but would have 1 to 3 seeds. Further problem is, the seed doesn't germinate.” Then once again serendipity intervened when “one year three volunteer pods formed that had much larger seed than what I had been getting from the crosses made. Three pods...six seeds total....one germinated. That one is 12-120A, taller (about two feet), considerably larger flower than its parent, making me think the unknown parent must be a tall bearded. And, it has limited fertility. Will it lead to anything different? Anything worthwhile? And if so, will I still be around to see it?

“The pleasures of iris hybridizing do not fall within the realm of instant gratification!”

Editor's Note: The image of Iris imbricata is designed to show what the species looks like, but it is doubtful that the clone shown is actually the iris used by Paul Cook in his hybridizing.

My Top Three Louisiana Irises

by Ron Killingsworth

I have been growing Louisiana irises for about fifteen or so years.  My background is investigative work and police work.  Although my grandmother was a “flower person” who grew many kinds of flowers and hybridized daylilies, I was not bitten by the flower bug until very late in my life.

Green House with Louisiana irises in front

We grow thousands of Louisiana irises in Mooringsport, LA, on historic Caddo Lake.  Every year many people visit us during the bloom season.  I am always asked which is my favorite Louisiana iris.  I generally reply with the names of about ten or so irises that I especially love.  It is difficult, therefore, to choose just a few.

My overall favorite Louisiana iris is ‘Adell Tingle’ (Hutchins, B 2006) for simply sentimental reasons.  My mother’s sister, Adell Tingle, was one of my favorite relatives.  She was a “flower nut” from birth and grew many flowers, especially native Louisiana plants.  Adell loved to attend the Society for Louisiana Irises (SLI) conventions.  In fact, it was the high point of her year.   It is a beautiful light lavender iris with medium lavender veining, slight ruffling, gold steeple signals outlined with darker purple veins and a great garden iris.  It was introduced by Plantation Point Nursery in 2007 but has never won any American Iris Society (AIS) awards.  

Louisiana iris 'Adell Tingle'

I remember the convention in Lafayette many years ago when Sue and I entered ‘Adel Tingle’ in the iris show at the convention.  It did not win the attention of the AIS judges but it did win the Ira S. Nelson Award (first place).  This award is given to the iris voted by the SLI members at the show as being the best iris in the show.  Sometimes this award is given to the best iris as selected by the AIS judges, but sometimes the members do not agree with the judges and select a different iris. When the award was presented at the awards banquet, Aunty A jumped out of her chair and rushed to the front to receive “her” vase and large rosette!  Of course these awards generally go to the person who entered the iris, not to the person it was named for!  But, none of us had the heart to explain this to Aunty A and she often said that was the best day of her life.  Aunty A is now strolling through the iris fields in heaven.

'Adell Tingle'

'Adell Tingle' the iris

Adell Tingle surrounded by Louisiana irses

 ‘Adell Tingle’ remains a great garden iris and many members of SLI grow her because of our love for Aunty A.  But even if you did not know her, it is a great iris and worthy of your consideration.

Louisiana iris 'Hush Money'

My second choice is based on the beauty of the iris and the unique iris name.  Sometimes you simply have to take off your “judge’s hat” and allow other things to decide what you love as opposed to what the book says.  That is not to say that AIS judges do not agree with me! 

'Hush Money'

My second choice is ‘Hush Money’ (Dunn, Mary 1998 (registered by J. Ghio for Mary, introduced by Bay View Gardens in 1998).  ‘Hush Money’ is registered as “stands cream with blue cast; falls cream, raised gold signal.”  It is obvious Joe did not spend much time on the description!  This does not come close to describing this wonderful iris.  I think the petals are almost white.  They do have a blue cast to them.  The signal is very long, very pretty, a goldish/yellow, and reaches to the midpoint of the falls.  It has a complicated genealogy.

'Hush Money'

Mary Dunn was a fabulous hybridizer and crossed and registered many great irises.  I grow a large selection of her irises.  I wrote an article about her many years ago that was published in the Fleur de Lis.  I never met her but would have loved her had I done so.  ‘Hush Money’ is a fabulous iris.  It is a good garden iris and it is a show winner.  My problem is keeping enough of it, as I tend to give it to everyone visiting the iris beds.  It won a Honorable Mention in 2002 but did not advance any further in the AIS awards scheme.  In my opinion it is certainly a Mary Swords DeBaillon Award winner – although no longer eligible for any AIS awards.  That does not stop it from winning show awards.  Don’t you just love the name?  Isn’t it a beautiful iris?

Louisiana iris 'Starlite Starbrite'

My third choice is ‘Starlite Starbrite’ (Granger, Marvin 1985).  ‘Starlite Starbrite’ is registered as simply as possible --“white, small greenish yellow signal; slight fragrance.”  One would think the registrar was charging by the word!  ‘Starlite Starbrite’ has never won any of the AIS awards.  It won the SLI award, “Caillet Cup” in 2012, when viewed by SLI convention attendees right here at Plantation Point.

'Starlite Starbrite' - Cartwheel form

The bloom season was early that year and by the time the convention rolled around, there were not a lot of irises still blooming.  It had rained and beat what few blooms remained into bloom pieces.  However, there were at least three different locations that had huge clumps of ‘Starlite Starbrite’ still blooming.  The convention guests voted it as the best iris seen in the convention tour gardens.

'Starlite Starbrite'

We continue to grow several large “clumps” of ‘Starlite Starbrite’.  It is a great re-producer, very tall, an outstanding iris in all regards.  Yet simple in its open and flat form.  If you can find a good specimen of it to enter in an iris show, it will probably win you a nice ribbon.  It often takes the “Queen of the Show” in many iris shows.  So, it is a great garden iris and a great show iris.  What more could you ask for?

Almost all of our irises are grown in dug beds.  We are in zone eight.  We have nice spring showers but very hot and dry summers.  We are fortunate to be able to pump irrigation water from a lake and keep the irises watered during the long dry summers.  Even then some of the irises go dormant.  We have little success with Tall Bearded irises because of the spring rains and the hot summers.

With so many thousands of irises to care for, they do not get fertilized as much as they should.  Twice a year applications of commercial fertilizer is about all they are afforded.  I do grow quite a few in raised beds, my own personal irises, and they are happy to receive more water and more fertilizer.  I find raised beds, lined with heavy plastic, work great.  Even with the heavy plastic lining, if located near a tree, roots will find their way into your beds and suck up all the good stuff. I don’t think you can over fertilize or over water Louisiana irises, which makes them just about the easiest iris to grow. In fact, just throw that rhizome down on the ground where it can reach some dirt and watch it grow.

Ron and Aunty A with "small" catfish caught on Caddo Lake.  Field of irises in background.

Did I mention that Aunty A loved to fish in Caddo Lake?  Here is one of the smaller ones we caught.  It is a flat head catfish also called Oppaloosa catfish.  We caught one a few years back that weighed in at 65 lbs.

To learn more about Louisiana irises, visit the Society for Louisiana Irises web site.

If you have never grown Louisiana irises, give them a try.  They grow as far north as upper state NY and from coast to coast.  There are many Louisiana iris hybridziers in  Australia and New Zealand.

To learn more about the American Iris Society and other species of irises, visit their web site.

To follow the Louisiana iris Facebook group, visit their facebook page.

When all else fails, garden

By Vanessa Spady

Despite all my best plans, life requires more of me than just puttering in my garden, planting and feeding and admiring my iris, and writing my favorite blog about gardening. Indeed, all the things other than my garden are often the reason I so desperately yearn to get back to my garden and revel in its restorative beauty.

'Coral Point' ( George Sutton, R. 1999). Sdlg. G-67. TB, 37" (94 cm), Midseason late bloom. Ruffled and laced pale pink (RHS 56D); beards coral, pink horn; slight musky fragrance. 'Sky Hooks' X F-257: (2-14A: ( 'Pink Ember' x 'Playgirl') x 'Twice Thrilling'). Sutton 2000.

It has been a remarkable year, as I look back at my blog postings, photos, and out into my yard. Not only did we plant our experimental garden of kiddie pools, re-purposed tires, and (hopefully) gopher-proof raised beds, but so much has happened in the world. So many public figures and close friends have passed on, the election was a tumult no matter what stance you take, and personally, there has been so much upheaval, drama, excitement (both good and not so good) and commotion in my life that garden therapy has become my saving grace.

'Alien Mist' ( Cy Bartlett, R. 1998). Seedling HD-IQ 1. TB, height 37" (94 cm), Midseason bloom. Ruffled very pale blue self; beards bright medium blue violet, horned; slight sweet fragrance. 'Howdy Do' X 'Inca Queen'. Sutton 1998.

I don’t have a routine or schedule for gardening; I often have to squeeze in projects and maintenance around other obligations, and I know this is true for so many of my friends and fellow-gardeners. That’s unfortunate, both because the number of hours my garden wants from me and the number I can provide are usually not the same (with the deficit showing in weeds and untidy beds), but also because the benefits of being in my garden extend beyond the well-being and beauty of the flowers into the well-being and beauty of the soul. Big words, but it’s true for me.

There is something so healing in a freshly turned bed. Even just clean dirt makes my heart happy. Planting is wonderful therapy, even if the rewards are only visible one season a year (for non-re-blooming iris). Weeding an area, and stepping back to see how the plants can now stretch, and grow, and thrive… it polishes up the tarnish that day-to-day living splashes on us in little bits all day long. 

'Fortunata' (Joseph Ghio, R. 1985) Sdlg. 79-125-O. TB, 38" (97 cm), E-L. S. melon; F. cool white, melon rim and shoulders; tangerine beard. 'Artiste' X 'Private Label'. Bay View Gardens 1986. Honorable Mention 1989.

The garden is a place where my mind and soul work together to feel the power and grace of nature. Harmony of the living body and the living dirt is a meditation that results in inner and outer beauty. And, at the end of a day in the garden, there is that lovely, lasting, tangible result that others can see, and share, and appreciate. It’s a lot harder to show your friends how great chanting “Om” makes you feel, but they can all appreciate gorgeous flowers, shady paths, and well-tended beds.

I can’t say when or where I noticed that gardening was good for my soul. I am grateful for the understanding, though. When work comes home with me in an unwelcome way, when stress and traffic and responsibility get too tiring, when I need to feel something more tangible, more basic, more real, I can go into my garden, and shed the rest of the world from my thoughts. I can erase the yuck, and embrace the muck. I shall always turn to my garden for the generous way it rewards my efforts.

'Sunshine Boy' (Frank Foster, R. 1985). Seedling #79-25. IB, Height 25" (64 cm), Early thru late bloom. Standards lemon cream; falls white, deep yellow markings and lines around hafts and orange beard; ruffled; pronounced spicy fragrance. 'Beau' X 'White Lightning'. Pod and pollen fertile. Vagabond Gardens 1986. Honorable Mention 1988. Award of Merit 1990.

Flower Forms of Japanese Iris

By Chad Harris

The iris family Japanese iris, Iris ensata has the most diverse flower forms of any other iris. This diversity has been achieved under the watchful eye of hybridizers in Japan over several hundred years of selective breeding, working with mutations within a single species.

Areas in Japan that bred Japanese iris with different flower forms

Secrecy of breeding stock within the different groups in Japan and the regional taste of perfecting what the perfect flower form should be, gave rise to distinct forms. Container growing for indoor display or garden growing for outdoor viewing also led to distinct flower forms of Iris ensata.

Typical three fall form of a wild type Japanese iris

The typical flower forms found in the wilds are smaller blooms of three falls, three standards, and three style arms. It is easy to remember flower parts of the iris as falls are the petals that hang or fall down, while the standards are the petals that stand upright. The style arms are the central part of the iris flower housing all of the reproductive organs female and male.

Nagai style of flower blooming in a Japanese iris garden

Nagai possibly the oldest flower form found in Japan. This area is known for its wild iris that had more variation in flower colors and patterns.

Nagai form is simple, showing variation in colors and patterns

The flower forms found here are simpler, being collected wild iris that had caught the eye of a collector.

Elevated walkway to be able to look down upon the iris flowers

Edo ancient name of Tokyo is where growers developed different flower forms some with multiple falls. Plants from this area of Japan were meant to be grown in the garden and seen from a higher elevation looking down upon the flower.

Three fall Edo flower form

Six fall or double flower form of the Edo style

Nine fall flower with the horizontal flower form of the Edo style

To get the maximum viewing pleasure of viewing from above, many flower forms whether single (3 falls), double (6 falls), or multi-falls (9+ falls) generally are held in the more horizontal linear line of a plate.

Ise flower form the three falls are pendent

Ise style and form meant to be grown in containers and brought indoors for display. This distinctive form embraces only the three fall variety of bloom. The falls to be seen from the side were bred to be pendent and hang straight down from the haft or shoulder of the bloom. These plants are shorter with the bloom stem at or slightly below the foliage height thus cradling or to seemingly hold the flower.

Higo indoor display

From the southern island the Kumamoto or Higo form was bred. Due to the heavy rains at bloom time these plants were also grown in containers like the Ise flowers to be displayed indoors during bloom.

Higo three fall flower form

Six fall Higo flower form with large style arms and flaring crests

The 3 fall, 6 fall, or multi-fall blooms being viewed from the side were also bred with arching falls, however, not as severe as the Ise form. These are large flowers with very large style arms and upright crests being the “heart” of the flower.

Ball form of the Japanese iris

There are also recognized flower forms that we today would call novelty. The “Ball” form is a flower that does not open fully staying in the balloon stage, or slightly opening up as Yae-gyokuhoren.

The raptors talons of the claw form

The “Claw” form is very self-describing. Do you see the raptors claws?

Hose-n-Hose is one flower inside of another

Rare is the true Hose-n-Hose form. This flower may look at first glance to be a multi-fall bloom, however, look at the placement of the pollen anthers and you will discover that this is truly one flower inside or on top of another. These flowers do not have any seed in the ovaries, they only show layers of more flower parts (petals) one on top of another.

Multiple style arms and crests a form being embraced in the United States

Fast becoming a modern favorite flower form here in the United States is the “Multi-Style Arm”. When the anthers become extra style arms, they make for a tight tuft in the center of the flower. This does have drawbacks as there usually is no pollen to be found. It is also difficult to find which correct style arm to put pollen on for future breeding of the flower. I do not know if this form is found or embraced in Japan and would like to hear from other growers.

For further reading on this subject: The Japanese Iris, by Currier McEwen; Classic Irises and the men and women who created them (chapter 4), by Clarence E. Mahan; and The Japan Iris Society web-site at http://www.japan-iris.org, here you will find English written papers by Hiroshi Shimizu.

Lloyd Austin - Pioneering Iris Hybridizer: Part 3

by Jean Richter

                                          Black Hope (Austin 1963)

Lloyd Austin is no longer with us, but we have a rich legacy in the things he left behind: the treasure trove of information in his catalogs, and the beauty of his iris. Austin’s catalogs were unique in the iris world – jam-packed with text and filled with pictures, they were equal parts encyclopedic knowledge and corny hucksterism. Some of his claims were a bit grandiose (some of those supposedly flat iris never managed to bloom as flat in the garden as they did in the pictures), but one can forgive a bit of exaggeration given the sheer volume of information he provided.

He gave detailed descriptions, printed accurate pictures, gave extensive information about culture and bloom seasons, and put in a delightful array of “secret variety games” to enable sharp-eyed customers to get additional discounts. The addition of color to his catalogs in 1952 added another dimension to the information available. For many aril enthusiasts, the pictures in his catalogs were the best indicators of what these rare iris should look like. In fact, even today some of his catalog pictures are the best available images of varieties long vanished from commerce. The color reproduction in these catalogs was for the most part quite accurate, with the notable exception of green iris. Many a budding iris enthusiast got a bit of a letdown when ‘Green Pastures’ bloomed with a color considerably more drab than the gaudy bright green it’s portrayed as in Austin’s catalogs.

Austin’s catalogs were particularly helpful to hybridizers. He was very encouraging to would-be hybridizers, giving parentage and fertility information (particularly for arils and arilbreds), selling hybridizing kits, hybridizing manuals, and even iris seed.

In the end, however, it is Lloyd Austin’s iris introductions themselves that provide his most enduring legacy. Sadly, many of the aril and arilbred iris he collected or hybridized for introduction are no longer available. Many of the extant varieties require the usual amount of careful culture common to this group of iris, though ‘Turkish Topaz’ (1962) is a happy exception to this general rule. A collected regelia hybrid, it grows and blooms for me with no special care, and grows so well for Superstition Iris Gardens that it practically naturalizes there.

                                       Turkish Topaz (Austin 1962)

More of his reblooming varieties remain in commerce, and I have had very good growth and rebloom from a number of them, including ‘Winter Flame,’ ‘Rip Van Winkle,’ and ‘Dark Mystery’ (1962). Those space age iris that so entranced me that day at Bluebird Haven have a somewhat undeserved reputation for poor growth. While some of his introductions do require a bit of coddling to succeed, I have had very good growth and bloom from ‘Unicorn’  (the one that started it all), ‘Horned Flamingo’  (1963), ‘Pink Unicorn,’ ‘Horned Rosyred,’ ‘Horned Rubyfalls,’ and ‘Flounced Premiere’ (1961).

                                           Horned Flamingo (Austin 1963)

Lest we forget, Lloyd Austin also introduced a large number of regular old tall bearded iris. I have had very good success with a number of these as well, including one of his best known introductions, ‘Tangerine Carnival’ (1957), the impressive ‘Black Sultan’ (1966), and the free-blooming, large-flowered ‘Crimson Colossus’ (1963).

                                              Black Sultan (Austin 1966)

                                     Crimson Colossus (Austin 1963)

Even if you’re a staunch space-ager-hater, there are many Lloyd Austin introductions you might enjoy growing – give some a try!

                                     Spooned Lace (Austin 1963)

If you would like a PDF of a scanned Lloyd Austin catalog, email me at jeanmarierichter@gmail.com -- we've scanned a number of his catalogs, and several of his manuals.

[This article appeared in somewhat different form in Roots -- The Journal of the Historic Iris Preservation Society, Spring 2008, and the American Iris Society Region 14 Bulletin, Summer 2016]