... growing and hybridizing all kinds of plants in zone 6b Maryland since the 1980's.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Red/Black Border Bearded Iris Seedling

I'd moved this one to the garden for a second chance evaluation before composting it. Glad I did, because it's kind of cute and has nice proportions. It doesn't photograph well [the guy behind the camera is more likely the problem] but the color is a very dark wine red color and the form is better than the pictures show. The flowers are smallish and stalks are right in the middle of the Border Bearded range, so even in better conditions it shouldn't grow too tall for that class. You'll have to take my word for it, the flowers look a lot better in person than in these pictures. The parentage is 'American Sweetheart' X ('Honky Tonk Blues' x Iris aphylla 'Balascuta')


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11 comments:

  1. fe_r556May 16, 2015 at 2:49 PM

    The saturation of maroon is INTENSE! Nice size, too.

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  2. TomMay 16, 2015 at 4:20 PM

    Thanks Jakub! All of the seedlings from this batch had darkly colored blooms, which is to be expected with a heavy dose of Iris aphylla in them. Actually, American Sweetheart has pretty intense falls too. But even so, this particular seedling was one of the darkest and definitely one of the reddest too.

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  3. fe_r556September 24, 2015 at 1:07 PM

    Maybe it is worth introducing? A lot of black TB's are floppy and/or sick, and the smaller classes are washed out.

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  4. TomSeptember 25, 2015 at 9:09 AM

    Well I've sent it to Iris City Gardens for evaluation. And I think I sent it to be a guest at the 2017 AIS Convention in Iowa. So I guess we'll find out how it performs away from home.

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    1. fe_r556November 23, 2015 at 7:01 PM

      Good luck!
      One of my irises, as well as a strawberry decided now would be a great time to bloom. Is the same happening to you?

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  5. TomNovember 30, 2015 at 9:30 AM

    Actually we've had less rebloom on reblooming iris, this year. Only successfully opened have been Joan Roberts' TB, 'I Repeat' and my diploid MTB, 'Cricket Song'. The only strawberries blooming this late are the ones who always do. So which iris do you have trying to bloom?

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    1. fe_r556November 30, 2015 at 12:19 PM

      Old clumps of what I think is Champange Elegance and some OP seedlings (they look the same, except the standards vary from a funny grey-periwinkle to cream yellow with pinkish flecks) They usually bloom just before most TB and once in mid summer. Never had fall repeat till now. The strawberry is wild F. virginiana, but the leaves and blooms look like vesca- only the fruit's seeds are virginiana-esque.

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    2. fe_r556November 30, 2015 at 12:19 PM

      Old clumps of what I think is Champange Elegance and some OP seedlings (they look the same, except the standards vary from a funny grey-periwinkle to cream yellow with pinkish flecks) They usually bloom just before most TB and once in mid summer. Never had fall repeat till now. The strawberry is wild F. virginiana, but the leaves and blooms look like vesca- only the fruit's seeds are virginiana-esque.

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    3. TomDecember 3, 2015 at 5:45 AM

      That's interesting. It's amazing how differently plants behave in different microclimates and weather patterns.
      So I figure the seeds sunken into the fruit on your strawberry???

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    4. fe_r556December 3, 2015 at 1:34 PM

      Maybe I managed to stumble on a natural, fertile cross. Or maybe there exits populations with variable fruit...

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  6. TomDecember 5, 2015 at 9:58 AM

    I don't know how that trait is inherited, but the few wild virginiana I've grown have had very deep pits where each seed is sunken into the flesh. Octaploids like virginiana definitely should hybridize with diploid vesca because that's how the decaploid "X vescana" types originated. It'll be neat to see if you can figure out just what it is that you've got. Keep me updated Jakub! :0)

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