TALL BEARDED IRIS SUPER ACHIEVER AWARD, PART THREE

         BY DAWN MUMFORD 

Iris season in Utah has just ended and it was glorious.  I had so many blooms that bloomed for the first time and were stunning.  In my next blog I will share with you some of my favorite new ones, so stay tuned. For now, let's finish the irises my husband and I like to recognize and call Super Achievers. Those are the irises that can always be counted on to bloom well, resist disease, provide beautiful blossoms, make big clumps. We call them our Super Achievers. We like to share this information so those of you who have similar conditions and climate zones (6b) can try planting some of these to get good results. 

Here as promised is part three of the Mumford Garden Super Achievers.  (To review part two click here.here  )  To review part one click here.

I made collages out of each iris and tried to include a distant shot, a shot from a few feet away, and a close-up or two so that you could see the full effect of the iris.

'Babbling Brook' (Keith Keppel, 1965)

This beautiful light blue self is over 40 years old and still stands up well with even the newest irises.   The form is good and the color is just as you see it here.  It is 38" tall and blooms in mid season.  It won a Dykes Medal in 1972.  It has always "super achieved" in our iris patch.    

'Bayberry Candle' (Caroline DeForest, 1966) 

This is one of two irises I have that have a hint of green in it. Admittedly it is olive green but none the less it is unusual.  The colors are more muted than those I usually pick but it takes wonderful pictures and is a welcome addition during mid season bloom.  I can count on it to draw the visitors eye in the garden.  

'Boysenberry Buttercup' (Larry Lauer, 1997)

With 'Best Bet' and 'Edith Wolford' it its pedigree it isn't surprising to get a lovely child.  This iris blooms very early.  Its bloom gets me into the garden, hunting the iris map and trying to mark any unmarked irises. 'Boysenberry Buttercup' has a strong sweet fragrance. It has always performed very well for us here with lots of buds and blooms. 

'Burst Of Joy'  (Schreiner's, 2009)

This was a bonus from Schreiner's one year.  It has bloomed reliably every year since I received it.  My mother-in-law loved the color orchid and she would have loved this iris.  

'Dracula's Kiss' (Schreiner's, 2009) 

This bitone iris is stunning.  The form is good as well as the health of the plant. There has been quite a buzz about this cultivar and I am another to sing its praises.  There is the benefit of purple based foliage which most people find desirable.  

'My Oh My' (Schreiner's, 2007)

This late blooming iris is a welcome mass of apricot color.  The beard is lush and a perfect compliment to the bloom.  

'Rhinelander' ( Schreiner's, 2006)

This lavender bloom is an iris that fades as it ages but on its way, it fades so gracefully.  (I wish I could say the same!)  It fades to a color that makes it look almost antique.  The mass of blooms in the collage above has both old and new blooms in it and still makes a lovely statement.  It is a late bloomer that I recommend if you have similar climate to ours.  

'Rondo' (Schreiner's, 1972)

This red-violet stitched plicata is a child of 'Stepping Out'.  It makes a huge clump and the blooms have great substance.  The stems are 40" tall.  

'Salzburg Echo' (Schreiner's, 2009)

I received this iris by mistake.  I ordered almost exclusively from Schreiner's and Cooley's from 1985 until about 2005.  I ordered a Dykes Medal winner from Schreiner's but got 'Salzburg Echo' instead. When I contacted Schreiner's they told me to keep this one and sent me the iris that I had originally ordered.  I love that kind of service. The best thing about this iris is the heavy substance and beautiful form. 

I have been accused of having a mini Schreiner's garden and I understand why. Schreiner's has been a wonderful company to order from. I just didn't know about all the other wonderful vendors that are out there.  The last ten years I have been ordering from a larger number of vendors.  In my next post I will show you some lovely new blooms from many vendors.

'Victoria Falls' (Schreiner's, 1977)

This beautiful blue iris is one the first to bloom and keeps blooming almost until the very end.  The white spot is distinctive and helps you spot this beauty quickly.  When I put this in the landscape I will put it next to two other irises that have sturdier stems that 'Victoria's' 40 inch stems can lean on.   

We have many more that are Super Achievers but the past 3 blogs give you plenty of samples of what does well here.  'Champagne Elegance', 'Song of Norway', 'Designer Gown' and 'Skating Party' are also super achievers, but I haven't yet found time to make collages for them.

We have been growing irises for pleasure since the mid 1980's.  For that reason there may be some older ones that are harder to find.  You may need to contact the Historic Iris Preservation Society for suggested vendors who may carry the older varieties.  For the link press here .  (My husband and I don't sell any irises). 

Susanne Spicker mentioned in her blog what a banner year 2016 has been for iris here in Utah.  Our garden was no exception.  I have some pictures I can't wait to share next time. Here is a tease:

All but 'Femme Fatal' and 'Prancing Pony' were maiden blooms. 

Did you get any especially nice new irises this year?  I would like to hear about them.   

Classifying Aril and Arilbred Irises

by Tom Waters

If you're even a little interested in arils and arilbreds, you will have noticed that there is a rather bewildering array of terms used to describe them in catalogs, in iris society publications, and in general use among iris growers. In today's post, I hope to help make sense of it all.

The Big Distinction

The most important distinction of all is that between arils and arilbreds. By today's definition, an aril is a species from the oncocyclus or Regelia sections, or a hybrid derived only from these two groups of species. In contrast, an arilbred is a hybrid derived from both arils and ordinary bearded irises (whether tall bearded, median, or dwarf).

Although this seems pretty easy, and these definitions have been official for more than half a century, one still often hears people casually refer to both arils and arilbreds as "arils". This creates a truly unfortunate confusion, especially since arilbreds differ from arils in both appearance and cultural requirements. To emphasize the distinction, you will sometimes hear people speak of "pure arils" to clarify that they are not talking about arilbreds.

A Closer Look at Arils

Aril hybrids are hybrids whose ancestry is only oncocyclus, Regelia, or both. A hybrid with only oncocyclus ancestry is an oncocyclus hybrid (OH), one with only Regelia ancestry is a Regelia hybrid (RH). Simple enough. But there are two terms in use for hybrids that are a mixture of oncocyclus and Regelia: regeliocyclus (RC) and oncogelia (OG). Originally, these terms indicated whether the cross used to produce the hybrids was Regelia x oncocylcus or oncocyclus x Regelia, but that turned out to be an unhelpful distinction. The appearance of the flowers doesn't depend on which direction the cross is made, and once you have advance-generation hybrids, the distinction is impossible to maintain. Today, we use RC to refer to aril hybrids where the Regelia influence is predominant (these are typically 1/2 Regelia or more by ancestry, but it really depends on the appearance of the flower, not the details of the pedigree). OG, naturally, refers to a hybrid where the oncocyclus influence is predominant.

Iris acutiloba lineolata, an oncocyclus

Iris stolonifera, a Regelia

A Closer Look at Arilbreds

Long ago, people used the word "arilbred" to refer to any iris with both aril and bearded ancestry, regardless of how little aril ancestry or aril flower characteristics it had. Today we know that inheritance is through chromosome sets, and a set of chromosomes is usually either passed on to a hybrid as a complete set or not at all. So many older "arilbreds" that were 1/8 or 1/16 aril by ancestry really had no aril content at all!

One of the first initiatives of the Aril Society International after it was formed in the late 1950s was to restrict the definition of arilbreds to irises with significant aril ancestry and significant aril appearance. Today, to be classified as an arilbred, an iris must be at least 1/4 aril by chromosome complement and the flower must show at least two aril characteristics, such as signal or veining. This definition helps protect the distinctiveness of arilbreds as a class.

Another initiative of the Aril Society was to encourage hybridizers to work with arilbreds that had more aril content and appearance. A separate category was created for arilbreds that are at least 1/2 aril, and these are eligible for a special award, the Clarence G. White Medal. Those less than 1/2 aril are eligible for the William Mohr Medal instead. Unfortunately, there is no simple terminology to distinguish these two categories; you just have to say "less than 1/2 aril" and "1/2 aril or more".

One peculiarity of this division is that aril hybrids (pure arils) are also eligible for the C. G. White Medal, because not enough of these are produced or widely grown to merit their own system of awards. I think this has contributed in a small way to the confusion between arils and arilbreds - for a number of years, the American Iris Society used the abbreviation "AR" for both arils and arilbreds eligible for the C. G. White Medal, and "AB" for arilbreds eligible for the William Mohr Medal.

Nine Types of Arilbreds? Yes, Really

Although for awards purposes, the American Iris Society sorts all arilbreds into only two classes (less than 1/2 aril and 1/2 or more aril), the Aril Society uses a more detailed system of categories that tracks not only the amount of aril content, but also the type of aril content (oncocyclus, Regelia, or both).

An arilbred with only oncocyclus and bearded ancestry is an oncobred (OB). One with only Regelia and bearded ancestry is a regeliabred (RB). If both oncocyclus and Regelia ancestry are present, it is an oncogeliabred (OGB). This is by far the largest category.

If the arilbred has less than 1/2 aril content, it is marked with a "-" sign. If more than 1/2, with a "+" sign. If it has 1/2 aril content exactly, neither a "-" or "+" is used.

So all together that makes nine types of arilbred: OB-, OB, OB+, OGB-, OGB, OGB+, RB-, RB, and RB+.

'Bhutan' (Tasco, 2010), an OGB

'Jeweled Veil' (Rich, 1978), an OGB+

A point to note is that since 1990, the amount of aril content is based on chromosome sets, not parentage (which is why the word "content" is used rather than "ancestry"). Although the distinction between chromosome content and ancestry often makes no difference, there are times when it does. 'Loudmouth' (Rich, 1970), for example, came from a cross of an oncocyclus with an SDB. Thus it is 1/2 aril by parentage. However, the oncocyclus parent was a diploid, providing only one set of aril chromosomes, whereas the tetraploid SDB parent provided two sets of bearded chromosomes, making 'Loudmouth' only 1/3 aril by chromosome content. It won the C. G. White award under the old parentage system, but today it is classified as OB-, and would not be eligible for that award.

'Loudmouth', an OB-

Despite all this attention to detail regarding the aril ancestry of arilbreds, no distinctions at all are made regarding the type of bearded ancestry, whether TB, dwarf, or median. Sometimes smaller arilbreds with dwarf or median ancestry are called "arilbred medians", "aril medians", or other similar terms, but these are not official categories.

Finally, here is a chart that tries to make sense of this all:

I hope this post has shed some light on a rather complicated subject. Do you find these categories helpful when choosing and growing arils and arilbreds?

"Talking Irises" TALL BEARDED IRISES 2016--A banner year

By Susanne Holland Spicker

'LIMERANCE' Blyth 2009 -This first-time bloomer has huge, ruffled falls and wonderful veining

The tall bearded iris bloom here in the top of Utah in the 2016 season was one of the best in recent memory. I had several varieties that bloomed for the first time in the garden, so, as you can imagine, I was excited to get up early and hurry outside to see what was new in the iris beds--it was better than Christmas morning!  

(Back to front) 'LOUISA'S SONG' (Blyth 2000), 'FEATURE ATTRACTION' 

(Schreiner 1994), 'ARISTOCRACY' (Keppel 2006), 'SOUTHERN MORNING' (Metler 2011), 
'EXTRAVAGANT' (Hamblen 1984), 'PARISIAN DAWN' (Keppel 2006),
'WEDDING BELLE' (Keppel 2007), 'EVER AFTER' (Keppel 1986)

I'd like to thank the many hybridizers for their stunning flowers. Their irises have given beauty, lifted spirits, and been a source of enjoyment to so many of us iris lovers over the years, and I appreciate their time and efforts in making the world a more beautiful place. Thank you!

'LENTEN PRAYER' (Schreiner 1998) My favorite iris in this shade--Huge, velvety blooms!

I'm sharing some of my pet blooms from one of my favorite beds. I love this color palette, with rich lavender, purple, rose, soft pink and shrimp shades. It wasn't hard to coordinate a bed of these shades, as there are a host of irises to choose from in these colors. Pictured is a sampling of some of my favorite irises as I walk through the bed. These are ones I especially love.

(Left to Right) 'APHRODISIAC' (Schreiner 1986), 'MAGHAREE' Blyth 1986),

 'BOLD EXPRESSION' (Ernst 2003), 'PURPLE SERENADE' (Schreiner 2005)

'DANDY CANDY' (Ernst 2001) The unique coloring of this iris makes it a visitor's favorite!

'OXFORD COUNTESS' (Blyth 2007) This huge, magnificent bloom takes your breath away!

(Forefront) 'PLANNED TREASURE' (Burger 1985), 'CENTER ICE' (Ghio 2010),  'GITANO' (Keppel 2007), 'FLORENTINE SILK' (Keppel 2005),

 'MIDNIGHT REVELRY' Schreiner 2005)

'FLORENTINE SILK' (Keppel 2005) A well-deserved award winner. Very reliable and prolific and one of my favorites in these colors

'DARING DECEPTION' (Johnson 2012) This iris stands out in the garden. Wow!

'ROMANTIC GENTLEMAN' (Blyth 2002) A clump of this is stunning!

'LOUISA'S SONG' (Blyth 2000) Always perfect blooms on sturdy stems

'PHOTOGENIC' (Ghio 2006) Aptly named, this iris is a favorite to photograph

'Kitty Kay' (Keppel 2002) Perfection! 

'CENTER ICE' (Ghio 2010) This first-time bloomer had an especially long flower life. Gorgeous blooms!

'ZANDRIA' (Nebeker 1996) I love the colors on this beauty--the beard is striking!

'PLUM PRETTY WHISKERS' (Spoon 2003) I got this because of an iris friend--and it didn't disappoint.  Beautiful!

'EYE FOR STYLE' (Blyth 2006) Outstanding color on this huge beauty! I love the shade it fades to over time, as shown in this photo

'MING LORD' ( Blyth 2006) With beautiful, velvety falls and bright beard--excellent!

'PERSIAN BERRY' (Gaulter 1977) Another favorite I got because of an iris friend. The soft shades and markings on the haft of this beautiful iris are unique. Thanks, Renee!

'FANCY STUFF' (Brown 2001) If you love lace, this is for you. Beautiful in every way! Opens up nicely.

'ELIZABETHAN AGE' (Baumunk 2005) This iris is a long bloomer. Lovely!

Some of these may be new to you; others I'm sure are on your list of favorites, too. 

What were some of your favorite blooms this year? Was it a good year iris season in your area?  I'd love to hear from you!

Louisiana Irises That Make Me Happy

By Patrick O'Connor

Amazing progress has been made in the relatively few years in which Louisiana irises have been hybridized.  Those stalwarts who collected wild irises in swamps and along bayous and who began hybridizing in the 1930s and 1940s would be hard pressed to recognize some of the newer hybrids.  Even those working in the 1980s and 1990s surely would be surprised by their change in appearance and pleased with improvements in performance as a good garden plant.

I generally like the new irises and have been impressed by almost all.  Those marked by the greatest transformation in appearance of the flower, however, are not necessarily the ones I am happiest to see every year.  Don’t get me wrong.  Ruffling is great.  Green styles can be pleasing.  Signals on all parts add nice variation.  Strong substance generally is a plus.  Who can argue that a high bud count is not better than a lower one?

There is something to be said, however, for old friends, old forms, and for simplicity and grace.  I think those qualities may be what makes me happy to see some favorite irises each year and to resist any urge to move them out to make way for the new.

This blog will be about some iris hangers-on.  A few are actually old, but others simply hearken back to the time before the ruffling revolution, which really began not so long ago.  Even some new irises channel the quintessence of the wild ones and reinforce a prime directive for Louisiana irises:  There are a variety of pleasing forms, not a single model for a good iris.   And, it should be added, it is the appearance and performance of an iris in the garden that is the real test of its quality.

'Plum Good'

A good place to start is ‘Plum Good’ (Nelson, 2001).  This iris was developed by the late Ira S. Nelson, probably in the 1950s, but was only registered by his widow Barbara many years later.  The intensity of the plum red color and bright yellow arrowhead signal make this one striking iris.  The form is a bit open and slightly flaring, creating a bold but airy effect in the garden.  Many old irises drift away, but iris gardeners have refused to let this one go.

'Acadian'

If red is your color, ‘Acadian’ (Conger, 1956) remains appealing.  It was registered as “violet rose” but I don’t see that.  To me, the falls are distinctly red heavily overlaid with wine veining.  True, the standards are a lighter color, and violet rose may be accurate, but the overall effect of the flower is a textured red.  I don’t know of anything else quite like it even after all these years.

'It's A Boy'

Dorman Haymon’s ‘It’s A Boy’ (Haymon, 1989) is an overlooked iris.  It is a clear lavender blue with a strong yellow arrowhead signal outlined deep blue.  The flower form is open.  The registration blurb tags this iris as blooming at midseason, but after three years I have yet to find that accurate.  It is one of the last irises of the season, and it thus recommends itself to the procrastinating yet discriminating hybridizer.  ‘It’s A Boy’ provides a very beautiful and welcome surprise when the bloom season seems almost over.

'Velvet Memory'

Color distinguishes ‘Velvet Memory’ (Morgan, R, 1994) and I look forward to seeing its face every year.  Richard Morgan registered it as “dark red violet” and I can’t disagree as far as that goes.  But there is something about the tone that is distinct.  I have called it violet purple but that probably is no more accurate.  I’m not sure that my pictures or monitor capture the color or that any other iris has duplicated it.

'Morgan's Dixie'

My current favorite Richard Morgan iris is ‘Morgan’s Dixie’ (Morgan, by Melody and Jerry Wilhoit, 2009).  It is a short bright gold that is edged terracotta.  It provides a vivid-to-nearly-blinding patch of orange in the garden.  This, as they say, as one that you can’t pass by, but partly that’s because it reaches out and grabs you by the ankles.  I cannot imagine a replacement for this one.  ‘Morgan’s Dixie’ proves that an iris does not have to be tall to stand tall.

'Creole Canary'

Double Louisiana irises may be an acquired taste and if so, I have acquired it.  They are oddities, really, and perhaps are best enjoyed if few in number.  One I like is ‘Creole Canary’ (Granger, 1976).   It is “double” in the extreme, having six falls and a bunch of extra petaloids too numerous to count precisely.  One might say it’s a mess.  It is, but I enjoy looking at it every year.

"Henry Rowlan'

‘Henry Rowlan’ (M. D. Faith, 2000) is hardly an oldie, but it demonstrates that a clean, simple form devoid of ruffling (much less doubling) retains a strong appeal.  This is a gorgeous velvety purple iris that I never expect to replace.  The contrasting bright yellow of the crown signal is striking.  Someday this totally unruffled form may represent the new novelty iris.


As might be expected, I am attached to several of my own hybrids.  I still like these, but they may not grab others.  They include  ‘Barataria’ (2002), ‘Little Woods’ (2004), ‘Gentilly’ (2003), ‘Cocodrie’ (2013), ‘When Pigs Fly’ (2013) and ‘Zydeco’ (1999).

'Baratria'

‘Barataria’ is one of those irises that do not have show stalks, but they are produced in such profusion that a clump provides a color blast approaching that of a blooming azalea.  The day-glo rose color and contrasting white styles are an early highlight in the garden.  ‘Little Woods’ is a softer color – a warm rose – that is best appreciated close up.   The styles and signals have a subtle greenish cast and a line of deeper rose decorates the center of the falls.  One of the best smaller Louisiana irises.

'Little Woods'

'Cocodrie'

‘Cocodrie’ defies the demand for overlapping petals but its flaring form, orange color and decorative signals underline the Louisiana standard that many forms are fine.  This is another iris that slows your stroll down the garden path.  ‘When Pigs Fly’ exerts the same pull with a unique combination of pearly pink and yellow signals outlined by bright fuchsia.   This iris was named for its possibility of winning a Dykes, but at least there is no mistaking this one for any other.  It’s a fun iris.

'When Pigs Fly'

‘Gentilly’ is a favorite due to its soft peach tones and tastefully decorated styles showing a hint of green but tipped rose, and with a yellow signal outlined deep orange.  That may sound busy but the color contrasts are subtle, not garish.  This iris is best enjoyed out of the full blast of all day sunlight.  It definitely does benefit from partial shade.

'Gentilly'

‘Zydeco’ returned to form this year when planted again in a garden bed rather than under water culture.   There aren’t many, but a few Louisiana irises prefer to grow in a garden bed rather than in the bogs I create with drainless containers.  ‘Zydeco’ is a bright burnt orange self that deserves to be treated the way it wants.

'Zydeco'

Perhaps eventually I will tire of some of these old iris friends, as I have others.  I do like to think they retain some of the character of their wild ancestors.  It has become clear that the genetic possibilities for development and transformation of Louisiana irises are practically limitless.  Someday they may be unrecognizable as products of the natural world.   I hope that future Louisianas maintain qualities that reflect the essence of their natural heritage, and that we will not be entirely dazzled by beautiful images more likely to inhabit the far end of a kaleidoscope.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Crazy about Iris:Breeding Reblooming Irises in zone 6

by Betty Wilkerson

As I write this, I'm just coming off a spring season that was among the strangest I've seen in thirty plus years of breeding rebloomers.  There have been springs with drought and springs with incessant rain.  This year, spring started back in the winter.  This was good, because I was able to do a lot of garden cleanup and repair before the bloom season got started.  Then, the season was two to three weeks early.  One positive to this was that everything bloomed out of order, with a second wave of rebloom stalks at the end of the regular season.  For instance, 'Tara's Choice' is usually one of the first to bloom, but bloomed at mid to late season this year.  It was good to see a few new iris faces, new seedlings, and some slightly older, but favorite faces.

'Tara's Choice (Wilkerson 2004)

Hybridizing reblooming irises can be a difficult challenge depending on your location.  I'm in South Central Kentucky, zone 6.  Why is this important?  It's beginning to look more and more, to this hybridizer, like breeding irises in general, and rebloomers in particular, is a regional job.  If you live in an area where recurring iris bloom is the norm, then perhaps you wouldn't understand how other regions of the country, the eastern US in particular, long for irises that bloom from frost to frost.   

Although I can get tunnel vision when I'm out in the garden every day working with the irises, and making crosses, we are not thinking only of ourselves, but also the thousands of people hoping for a group of irises that will bloom from spring through fall, since many gardening people want the beauty of the iris throughout summer.  

Less than half a dozen people are working toward rebloom in the colder climates, zones 5-7, and we are all in different parts of the country.  It is a struggle to find cultivars that work for all of us.  We have different favorites and have produced different cultivars of our own.  Although many of us consult and talk among ourselves, we are each working for things that will rebloom in our own gardens, and hopefully, for others.   

'Immortality' (Zurbrigg 1990)

Before he passed away, Ben Hager predicted we were only 15 years away from irises that bloom all summer, frost to frost.  Although we are a lot closer to this in certain areas of the country, we are still far away from these predictions in zones 5-7.  It's still to be seen if reblooming irises are indeed regional, as once thought, or if we can come up with a number of good irises that can bloom in most regions and zones like their predecessor, 'Immortality.'

For more information search through the Reblooming Iris Society @ www.rebloomingiris.com. Several of us can be found on "Reblooming Irises" and  "Iris Hybridizers" on Facebook. We enjoy talking about irises in general and rebloomers specifically.