Tall Bearded Iris "ALFRED EDWIN"

ALFRED EDWIN a 1950 British raised variety. It has inherited the PBF (Purple Bottom Foliage) from its pollen parent the French bred 'President Pilkington'. Its form is from its pod parent the British bred 'White City'. The iris is a truly European breeding effort.
This heirloom iris shows good increase, good plant health, shows plenty of bloom in a good season and its a keeper.Recently found mis-labeled in the Official Jean Stevens Collection as 'PINNACLE' which it quite obviously is not as the above photo shows a reverse amoena, it was then sent to me by the guardian of the collection labelled as 'FLUTTER-BY'. A 'specular illusion' perhaps? Two Observations of easily accessed information that would instantly eliminate Flutter-By are this Iris shows strong purple bottom foliage(PBF) and the bloom size is to large for a Diploid.I have still yet to receive a correctly labeled iris from the 'Official Jean Stevens Collection' which make's one wonder whether the complete collection itself is correctly named??

Iris Year Book 1949 page 120
ALFRED EDWIN (WHITE CITY X PRESIDENT PILKINGTON) raised by A.T.White had conical primrose standards and neat white flaring falls with yellow at the haft. This is interesting for WHITE CITY has the the light violet HONOR STERNDALE as a sister and there is violet in its parents: Obviously been white itself it has some factor the counteracts a certain kind of violet: and it is plain from this new iris, that the violet that is in PRESIDENT PILKINGTON is of this susceptible kind, for it has been cleared out of its drab (i.e.,mixed yellow and violet) standards leaving them yellow, and it has been cleared from its violet falls leaving them white.

Iris Year Book 1949, Commentaries in Variety.
ALFRED EDWIN (A.T.White). A fresh bicolor with very white falls and rich butter-yellow standards. Not dainty like the "lemon ice" varieties, but generously petalled and with a chamois-leather-like substance A.W.D (Anthony W. Drewett)

1963 Orpington Catalogue
Alfred Edwin (White 1950). Rich primrose yellow standards and very white semi-flaring falls. Height 3ft.




AIS Checklist 1959
ALFRED EDWIN (A. White, R. 1950). TB 36" M, YL/W4. Primrose-yellow and white bicolor. White City X President Pilkington., Orpington 1953.

Only sold in the UK and the Iris is still listed with Claire Austin's Hardy Plants

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Photo Credit and Copyright Iris Hunter