Louisiana Irises -- Who could possibly have one favorite?

By Ron Killingsworth

A clump of mixed Louisiana irises

We grow a lot of Louisiana irises -- about 80,000 plants in all, and over 500 varieties.  Iris lovers often ask me to name my favorite Louisiana iris, at which point I begin rattling off the names of 15 to 20 varieties.  I really do not have an all time "favorite" but I will share some of those that are in my current "top 30" list.  

'Adell Tingle' (Hutchins, B 2006)

This iris was named for my mother's sister, my Aunt Adell, and is one of my favorite irises because of the name and because it is such a pretty lavender iris, with veining and ruffling.

'Amber Goddess' (Arny, C 1963)

Charles Arny produced a lot of Louisiana irises in the 50's and 60's.  This iris is registered as "amber" but can look quite red at times.  The darker style arms really set the flower apart from others.

'Atchafalaya' (Campbell, F 1998)

 The Atchafalaya Basin in south Louisiana is well know for the bald cypress trees and "swamps" located within the basin.  The iris is a beautiful open form dark red violet with a halo.  This large clump shows that it is a great garden iris.

'Bayou Tiger' (Strawn, K 1993)

This iris is a great Louisiana iris.  It has distinctive colors and has a great Louisiana name!  The "tiger" part of the name comes from the Louisiana State University (LSU) colors displayed by the flowers.  Every Tiger fan should grow this iris.

'Brazos Gold' (Strawn, K 1993)

A beautiful bright yellow with orange signals.  It is a great addition to any garden.

'Bryce Leigh' (Chowning, F 1973)

Is it starting to show that I really like a lot of the older cultivars?  This iris has flowers in the open form and is registered as "pale lavender" but looks more pink to me after it fades a little.  The maroon surrounding the signal and showing on the style arms will help anyone identify this iris from a long distance.

'Flash Harry' (Davis, Penny 2008)

This iris out of Australia by Penny Davis is a beautiful wine "blush" or red sort of overlaid with orange, with ruffling and lots of other beautiful things happening in the blooms.  It is in my top ten!

'Frank Chowning' (Rowlan, Henry 1984)

Of course this iris was named for Frank Chowning who gave us many wonderful Louisiana irises.  This iris is registered as "currant red" and has a nice bright yellow steeple signal with overlapping form flowers.

'Fringed Gold' (Shepard, D.L. 1992)

This "brick red" iris has a lot going on in the bloom.  The spray pattern around the signal is a characteristic I like in several other irises.  The style arms are edged yellow and there is a nice halo around the petals.  A beauty to behold.

'Gulf Moon Glow'  (Faggard, A. 1994)

Nice bluish stands with yellow green falls, green style arms -- even claims to have a slight fragrance.  I love this iris and grow it in about 15 different locations!

'Plum Good'  (Nelson, I 2001)

This iris has been around under the garden name "Plum Good" and was only recently registered.  It is certainly "plum" colored and I think it is a very "good" iris -- you should be growing it!

'Point Aux Chenes' (Musacchia, J 2005)

I know, I know!  You can't pronounce the name of the iris nor the name of the hybridizer.  Well, welcome to Louisiana.  This iris is registered as "golden peach self" but looks more "orange" to me.  It has a distinctive signal and is a great garden iris.  You can learn to pronounce the name or just give it a garden name of your own!  By the way, Joe Musacchia lives SOUTH of New Orleans -- yes, south of New Orleans.

'Prix D'Elegance' (Pryor, Heather 1995)

I really love the iris and the name.  It is a great garden iris and grows like a weed here in NW Louisiana.  It is registered as "rose pink" with lemon style arms.  A great iris!

'Splitter Splatter' (Grieves, D. R. 2004)

Another iris out of Australia that caused quite a stir when it was first introduced in the USofA.  I had people calling me from Florida wanting to purchase it and I had never even heard of it!  Now we grow it and it is certainly a "novelty" iris that will add excitement to your garden.

'Starlite Starbrite' (Granger, M 1985) and 'Delta Star' (Granger, M 1966)

The white "cartwheel form" iris in the front is Starlite Starbrite and the darker blue one in the back is the "cartwheel form" Delta Star.  Marvin Granger produced quite a few of these "laid out flat" irises that have all falls and no stands.  Starlite Starbrite is a show winner and has won many blue ribbons.

'Tantra' (Dunn, Mary 1998)

Mary Dunn lived in CA and hybridized many award winning irises.  This light orchid colored iris has lighter stands and that wonderful darker veining from the signal down to the edge of the petals.

'Texas Toast' Mertzweiller, J 2005)

Texas Toast is one of the most unusual tetraploids (having four times the haploid number of  chromosomes in the cell nucleus- most Louisianas are diploid) of the few registered.  It does in fact look like a nice lightly toasted bread.  Joe Mertzweiller did a lot of work on converting diploids to tetraploids and this seedling was still around when he passed away.  Marie Caillet registered it for him in 2005, long after his death.

'Wood Violet' (Dormon, Ruth 0 1943)

Most growers of Louisiana irises are familiar with Caroline Dormon but not all know that her sister Ruth also grew and hybridized Louisiana irises.  This is a very late bloom with a white spray pattern around the signals.  An oldie but a goodie!

'Cotton Plantation' (Dunn, Mary 1994)

When you see a clump of this iris in full bloom you will indeed think you have wandered into a cotton field in Louisiana or Texas.  The beautiful white blooms sure do look like cotton bolls.

'Heavenly Glow' (Morgan, Richard 1988)

This iris is a beauty.  It grows well and has very green style arms.  The signal is surrounded by an orange red coloring.  It is indeed "heavenly"!

'Professor Neil' (Mertzweiller, Joe 1990) and 'Her Highness' (Levingston 1957)

Professor Neil is one of the tetraploids hybridized by Professor Mertzweiller in the 50's and 60's.  It is a great garden iris and my favorite of the "professors" (a group of tetraploid Louisiana irises named by Mertzweiller for his professor friends at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette).  In the background is "Her Highness", a collected iris.giganticaerulea alba that is in my top ten!

'Just Helene' (Mertzweiller, J 1990)

This iris is an eye catcher!  The veining, the blue and yellow stands, the yellowish "ground" veined light blue falls, the green yellow signal!  Wow, beautiful and a great garden iris.

'Lone Star' (Campbell, Farron 1997)

Farron Campbell once owned Lone Star Nursery in the great state of Texas.  He hybridized this iris that has i.hexagona in its parentage.  It is a very late bloomer and has a cartwheel form, laid out like a plate!  Very pretty.

'Longue Vue' (Haymon, Dorman - 1999)

This beautiful white iris with "laced" edgings was named for Longue Vue House and Gardens in New Orleans, LA, where you can find many Louisiana irises growing along with thousands of other plants.  My favorite white and among my all time top ten.

'Navajo Coral' (Shepard, D. L. 1996)

A "sandy coral" iris with yellow gold signals and greenish style arms.  Very distinctive and a great garden iris.  A treasure from the great state of AZ.


So, as you can see, I really like some of the older Louisiana irises, irises that are considered "historic" because of their age.  We still grow hundreds of irises registered in the period 1920 to 1960.  I like the older open forms and the smaller blooms -- yet I also like the more modern fancy ones.  I just love too many of them to chose one favorite.

Do you have trouble winnowing down your list to one favorite?  Tell us which ones you like and why in the comments section.

If you are interested in growing some of the beauties, contact the Society for Louisiana Irises for more information. You can also learn a lot more about irises by visiting the American Iris Society web site.

"Talking Irises" BROKEN COLOR IRISES WITH HYBRIDIZER BRAD KASPEREK AT ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS

By Susanne Holland Spicker


A recent drive to ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS, a commercial iris garden in Elwood, Utah, gave me a "GNU," (as the Kaspereks would say) appreciation for BROKEN COLOR IRISES and a newfound love for SPURIA IRISES. Brad and Kathie Kasperek are the owners/operators of this beautiful iris garden.  It is the world's leading source for broken color (BC) bearded irises, and I was impressed with their large variety of award winning spuria irises as well.

Brad has been hybridizing irises for several years. He has a wealth of knowledge and is recognized as the pioneer of broken color irises, which are flowers with random streaking and/or splashing of 2 or more colors. They come in Tall Bearded (TB), Border Bearded (BB), and Intermediate Bearded (IB) varieties. Visiting with Brad was interesting and very educational. He stated that it takes roughly 100 years to "perfect" a flower, and since broken  color irises have only been around for about 25 years, the hybridizing is still in its infancy. Improvements in bud count, branching, and form continue to be perfected.  I was impressed with his irrigation system, and the neat, well organized way his garden is laid out--especially the identifying markers on every plant.

Brad's first introduction was award-winning "TIGER HONEY", (TB 38" EM AM 1994). Since then, he has introduced roughly 100 irises--many, award winners. The names of his irises are as unique as they are. Most are whimsical names based on African or wildlife themes.

After viewing rows and rows of blooms, some of my favorite Kasperek irises that were in bloom include:

Bi-color plicata "LLAMA MAMA" TB  37"  EM  2005  HM.  Large and vigorous!

"OKAPI POPPY"  TB 37"  M  2004 AM  Vigorous and graceful.  

A favorite:  "DRUNK SKUNK" TB 32" EM  2012.  Stunning!

"MAGDALENA LOUISA" TB 36" M  2003  HM.  A clean, BC pink--beautiful!

2013 Introduction, "MINK PINK."  Simple and elegant. TB 35" M.   I Love the beards!

2008 Wister Medalist, "MILLENNIUM FALCON"  TB 38" M.  Stunning--A real knockout!

 "MEERKAT MANOR"  BB  25" M  2008  AM.  A personal favorite!

"KINKAJOU SHREW" TB 38" EM  2000  AM.  This large bloomer is an excellent grower.

"PEEKABOO ZEBU" TB 35" ML  2005 AM.  Ruffled, bright and cheery.

This seedling is sure to be a winner--I loved the new, exceptional color!

Exciting seedling!

 "GNU BLUES"  TB 36" M 1994 AM.  Lovely!

"BEWILDERBEAST" TB 30" EM  1995 HM. A favorite--goes with many color combinations. 

"GRIZZLY GOSLING" TB  36" M 2006--Exceptional color and form on this ruffled BC iris.

"IWAN'A IGUANA" TB  36"  M  2004 HM--Lights up the garden--a favorite of garden visitors.

"SPICED TIGER" TB  31" EM  1996  AM.  Dramatic!

"KILIMANJARO SUNRISE" TB  37" M HM  The first BC yellow/violet bicolor.

"QUAIL ALE" TB  37" EM  1996 HM.  Understated elegance on this light yellow beauty.

This radiant charmer stood out in the garden

"FLAMINGO GRINGO" TB  30" EM 2008.  Exciting in the garden!

"OCTOPI PI" TB  36"  ML  2012.  This plicata has  clean, bright orange standards.

A favorite--2013 introduction, "YETI AGAIN" TB 36" ML.  A sure winner!

"CHOCOLATE MOOSE" TB  37"  M  2003 HM.  Dramatic--a lovely clump.

"HOT DOGS AND MUSTARD" (Kathie Kasperek) TB  36"  M 1995  AM.  Kathie's creation works great in designs.

"BRADLEY BADGER" TB 34"  M  2013.  A favorite--Lights up the whole garden!

Brad's introductions have received many awards from the AIS judges, and last year he received The Founders of SIGNA Medal for "Z Z ZANZIBAR" and both "MEERKAT MANOR" (BB) and "PLUM DUCK" (Spec x) received Awards of Merit.  Also, "ORANGUTAN ORANGE" (TB) picked up an Honorable Mention. This year's introductions are exceptional as you can see by the pictures of 3 of my favorites:  "BRADLEY BADGER," YETI AGAIN," and "MINK PINK".

Whether you're a lover of broken color irises like me or not, you'll have to agree that the Kasperek  irises must be recognized as something relatively new and different in the iris world. I am grateful to Brad Kasperek for his passion, and for the countless hours and patience involved in hybridizing these unique flowers. I find them beautiful, and have a long wish list after visiting his iris garden. Whether in a clump or a single stem, they are very striking, making exciting attention-getters in the garden. I see many possibilities for companion plants and other irises that compliment their wonderful patterns and colors.

What do you like most about Broken Color irises?  Which is your favorite?

NOTE:  Look for part II of my visit to Zebra Iris Gardens, where I talk about Brad's hybridizing priority shift to spuria irises, and pictures of some award-winning spurias, as well as some of Brad's stunning seedlings!

Favorite Photos & Varieties from the 2013 Season, part 2

By Mike Unser

I hope you enjoyed that first set of photos from my garden this past season. We had so many beautiful blooms, even in a sparse year. Here's the second part of my presentation.

One of my favorites of Jim Gibson's plicatas is the charming 'Mod Mode' (1969). Could it be any prettier with its soft pink edging on a sparkling white ground?

Well, yes, it could! Take a peek inside the flower and check out its lovely heart. A suffusion of sunny yellow lights it up and compliments the pink and white tones perfectly. (click for larger photo)

'Old Black Magic' (Schreiners 1996) is one of a long line of stunning black irises from this famous hybridizing family. While I grow mostly historic irises, the tailored form of OBM is delightful and it is a favorite of garden visitors, too.

It also looks amazing when you take a peek inside. Such colors! Like a living kaleidoscope.

'Parthenon' (Connell, 1934) bloomed the first year in the garden, and my, wasn't it eye-catching. I admired it every time I passed by. Its creamy white infused with soft yellow really allowed it to catch the light.

'Pretty Butterfly' (Sass by Edinger, 1999) is an old Sass variety finally getting a proper registration in 1999. What a pattern! It was nice to see it again after several years of it settling in.

Dr. Kleinsorge's 'Rebellion' (1937) is not a flashy iris, nor an eye-catching one, but for those who notice it does intrigue. The deep smokey red tones are verging on brown. It always makes me think of old tapestries or Persian rugs.

Rhages is a perennial favoite and I was pleased as punch to capture this shot of it with the sun barely lighting it. Just magical.

Everyone raves over 'Tropical Butterfly' (Carstenson, 1963), and rightly so. Big, bold flowers of creamy yellow ground edged in bright red really brings the drama to the garden.

Paul Cook's classic Dyke's Medal winner, 'Whole Cloth' (1956), was a welcome sight. Having lost it several years ago in a move I was very pleased to see it showing off this year on an established clump. The soft blue and white is so fresh and lovely. You can see why it merited irisdom's top award in 1962.

Last, I'll share this pretty shot of an old French variety, 'Zwaneneburg' (Denis, 1912). It has aril in the ancestry yet does very well in my wet Pacific Northwest garden, blooming along with the late daffodils and complimenting them nicely. It is a very tough little iris and a reliable bloomer too. I really liked this shot with the yellow of the daffs behind it.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed a brief tour thru some of the flowers I enjoyed this spring and the photos I took of them. I find photographing my iris collection to be just as fun and rewarding as collecting them in the first place. It's not too late to enter your photos in the AIS Photo Contest. You can click here for information on how to enter. I'm looking forward to seeing your winning photo in an upcoming issue of the society's bulletin Irises.