By Bryce Williamson
As
I wrote in a previous blog “I’m Singing the Blues,” some traditional iris
colors have been ignored by hybridizers in recent years. Among those colors
ignored are browns—oddly always popular with the carriage trade—and yellow.
Ignoring the latter makes little sense. Yellow to gold is such a wonderful
color in the garden and brings a shaft of sunlight into plantings even on
overcast and dreary days.
Here
are some yellows and golds to perk up even the dullest day.
Abbondonza--Image by Paul Black
Abbondanza
(Ghio, 2003). With flowers that bloom from the early season to late, standards are
mango gold, infused pink; falls mango gold, heart and shoulders pink; beards
tangerine. This is a color that bring yellow and fruit tones together in a warm
combination.
Amarillo Frills--Image by Paul Black
Amarillo
Frills (Hager 2002). Not the newest iris on the list, but an early to midseason
blooming variety that is a laced yellow self including the beards yellow.
Beauty Becomes Her--Image by Paul Black
Beauty
Becomes Her (Black, 2010) Blooming in the midseason until the end of iris bloom,
standards and style arms are medium dark yellow; falls pale yellow blending to
medium yellow edge; beards medium yellow, light yellow at end. I have liked
this when visiting gardens in Northern California and it grows and blooms well
for me.
Best and Brightest--Image by Paul Black
Best
and Brightest (Black, 2012). Some greenish hints in the falls of this bright
yellow; anyone who is starting a hybridizing program will find this an
interesting parent.
Better
Than Butter (Black, 2010). Yet another of Paul Black’s irises on the list, but
this time it is a variety that will expand your season, starting to bloom in
the beginning of the iris season and blooming to the end. Here the standards are white with a narrow,
bright yellow edge; falls are light to medium yellow darkening towards the
edge. A narrow, muted gold band circles the falls.
Dance Till Dawn--Image Paul Black
Dance
Til Dawn (T. Johnson, R. 2011). Fifty years ago, one of the major tall bearded
hybridizers of that time, Orville Fay, believed that tangerine-red bearded
yellows and golds were just around the corner; that goal has been elusive
because of genetic linkage. With golden-yellow standards and fall, blazed
white, the beards are tangerine to yellow.
Fallalary
(Johnson, 2010). In the tradition of Rainbow Gold, this bright, sunshine yellow
has a classic, round form, light ruffling, and heavy lace around the petals’
edges, but the flowers open without problems.
Golden Gaga--Image by Paul Black
Golden
Gaga (L. Painter, 2012). This variety takes yellow-gold off into a different
direction with blendings of caramel in the standards and falls, darker caramel
towards the edges of the petals.
Golden Panther--Image by Rick Tasco
Golden
Panther (Tasco, 2000). Multi-awarding winning iris. Its awards include an Award
of Merit, President’s Cup in 2004 at the AIS National Convention, and the Dykes
Medal in 2009. Registered as gold overlaid in bronze, I find that some years it
is definitely gold and other years it is bronze. Either way, it is bright and
attention getting in the garden.
Notta Lemon--Image by Paul Black
Notta
Lemon (Burseen, 2010). Well, actually it is sort of a lemon, though more a
lemon-yellow-gold. Starts to bloom early in the season and continues to open
flowers until towards the end of the bloom season.
Pure and Simple--image by Paul Black
Pure
and Simple (Maryott by Ghio, 2004). I like this quiet, soft yellow better than
its more famous sister seedling That’s All Folks. The falls are cream white
with a wide band of soft-yellow, the color of the standards. This one always
grows well for me and was a standout in the five years of severe drought here.
Pure As Gold--image by Brock Heilman
Pure
As Gold (Maryott, R. 1993). Some may ask why this 24 year old iris is on this
list. First it is here because of the deep, smooth gold color; the second
reason is that it can rebloom in much of the United
States. Some consider this to be Bill Maryott’s best introduction.
Smart Money--Image by Paul Black
Smart
Money (Ghio, 2010). When I first saw this iris while visiting gardens, I liked its yellow tones; however, when it bloomed for me the next year with light violet
lines and speckles on the falls, I did not know what to think. In a day, the
lines and speckles disappear. For anyone starting to hybridize, this has
produced some very unusual seedling for Barry Blyth in Australia.
Sun Chic--image by Napa Iris
Sun
Chic (L. Painter, R. 2010). A bitone effect in this lemon yellow with darker
falls; good growth and plants that are reliable for bloom each year.
That's All Folks--image by Brock Heilman
That’s
All Folks (Maryott by Ghio, 2005). Standards are brilliant gold; falls white
with gold blending to wide, muted gold band; beards gold. People I know in
Texas assure me that when well grown, stalks of That’s All Folks can get as
tall as five feet. But I must point out everything in Texas is bigger. This
bright iris stands out in the early garden from afar and demands attention.
Your My Sunshine--image from Rockytop Gardens
You’re
My Sunshine (Fan, 2010). I have yet to bloom this variety, but this gold self,
except for a small white flash at the end of gold beards, has come highly
recommended to me for wonderful growth habits, sturdy plants, and stalks that
stand up under adverse conditions. I am looking forward to its bloom in 2018.
I
hope that this blog has reminded you of the value of yellow to gold irises in
your garden. When it is time to add to your collection, bring some of these
fine irises into your yard and you will be reward with a blaze of sunshine even
on the coldest, wettest, and dreariest day by letting the sun shine in.
