Tall Bearded Iris 'DAWN REFLECTION'

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Identifying Historic or any Iris for that matter is fraught with difficulty partly due to others or your own preconceived ideas, or information which is slightly off base. Dawn Reflection has been one such journey.
I got there in the end (I gave up listening to people who have that uncanny knack of imagining irises into existence) . Last growing season I was gifted all the irises growing in Wanda Williams garden and Dawn Reflection was one of the gifts. Dawn Reflection was documented growing in the Williams Garden in 1956. I have distributed this iris to others so it now also grows in two Garden's in Auckland and two gardens other than my own in the Wairarapa so I guess you can say it is risk managed. For many New Zealander's this would be the first time they have seen this iris yet it was introduced as a novelty in 1948.
Stevens Bros. catalogue Wanganui 1948-49 Novelties page 5
DAWN REFLECTION (Stevens) Very lovely in its flared and waved form, of wonderful substance and gleaming texture, this new iris has a dainty grace which makes an instant appeal. It is a plicata, yet has two virtues which few plicata's possess, garden value as a clump, and a soft pink colour tone. The ground colour is ivory with the margins of the flaring falls softly stitched in pink. The waved standards are richly flushed and stitched rose pink. Excellently branched stems carry the huge blooms to a height of 3½ ft. 50 Shillings.



Schreiners catalogue 1952 page 16
DAWN REFLECTION (Stevens 1948) M 36"
This is the largest plicata I have ever seen and a prime favorite with garden visitors. The immense blooms, attractively flared and waved, have a ground color of glistening ivory,sparingly and precisely etched rose-pink on the falls and more generously suffused a bright lilac-pink in the standards. A sturdy iris of unusual delicacy, yet most effective in a clump. Branching and substance are ideal. $12.00

Salina Flower Farm Catalogue 1951
Dawn Reflection 42". Soft Pink tone plicata on ivory ground.
1949 Checklist
DAWN REFLECTION TB-M-Y8L (Stevens-W.R. N.)R: 1948
(TIFFANY) X ((( MISS CALIFORNIA) X (REWA X NEW DAWN)) X (MADAME LOUIS AUREAU))); #1/U86

Developing Buds have that barbers pole effect which is always that something extra. I have displayed two pictures of DR which shows slight colour variation and shows the difficulty in capturing soft pink. Top picture thanks to Bill Edington. Rose pink refer Ridgway 249.

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