NADA when in bloom it is like a Christmas Tree on steroids, and once it starts it blooms for a very long time, but you can never tire of it. Large well feed plantings of these blooms just blow you away.
Bulletin of the American Iris Society, April 1938, Number 69. Iris notes from Southern California, Lena M. Lothrop
I managed to attend the Show for a few minutes and was very much upset. There was just one beautiful exhibit there and it was outstandingly so. It is a hybrid of Mr. Giridlian's crossing between japonica and Wattii. It is much superior to either of its parents. The stem with its many flowers, each one following close on the heels of another is beautifully branched. The flowers are larger than those of Wattii and have more color. If you can grow japonica you will find this worthwhile. He has registered it as Nada and I did intend to see to it that it was awarded an H. M. for it deserves it-all agree to it but no one attends to it.
Bulletin of the American Iris Society, February 1938,
Number 68. Report of Iris Show held in connection 'with the
Pasadena Flower Show, April 16, 17 and 18, 1937.
The most beautiful exhibit was a bowl of Nada (japonica X Wattii)
brought in by its originator, Mr. J. N. Giridlian. It was not
entered in competition but the judges insisted in giving it a
Special Avvard.
Bulletin of the American Iris Society, April 1949, Number 113. Iris Japonica and its Hybrids, J.N. Giridlian, California.The late W. R.Dykes, writing in The Gardeners' Chronicle of May 28, 1921, said,'Among the Evansias something good might come from the crossing of I. watti, which does so well when planted out in a cool house. It ought to cross with I. japonica ..." Mr. Dykes was unable to make the cross because he had no luck in flowering the plants and when they did at last bloom they did not respond to cross pollenization. At best they are shy seeders even in Southern California where they bloom profusely.
It seems that Mr. J. C. Stevens, of Greenville, New York, and myself, working independently, made this cross at about the same time, except that I used the japonica type form and he used the variety Uwodu. At any rate the hybrids raised were both registered in the year 1936, and in both instances 'Watti was used as the pollen parent.
The results obtained, while being equally lovely, are quite distinct in many respects. Mr. Stevens' variety was named Fairyland and mine Nada. The Fairyland plant is unlike either parent. The foliage is very narrow, dark green and superficially resembles a California species. It makes a very compact growth and is quite low-growing. It flowers in April on upright, short-branched stems,with many flowers nearly the size of watti. The color is white heavily and attractively spotted deep violet. It is a good pot plant.
Nada has very large foliage, larger than either parent, bright green, which grows fan-shaped on 12-inch stems. Well grown plants will stand about three feet high. The flowers are produced earlier than Fairyland's and are a shade smaller than those of japonica, but much more numerous. I have had as many as 200 flowers on one stem over a three-month period. I think Nada has more flowers per stem and a longer blooming season than any other iris. The flowers are well ruffled, white with a slight lavender sheen with yellow crest and light lavender spotting in the haft. As the flower stem is strong and wiry, it is held up well and does not flop over. When cut, nearly every bud develops. It makes an excellent house or greenhouse plant and is very attractive when planted in a hanging basket.Nada is not sterile and will produce seeds either selfed or crossed back to either parent. However it is a very shy seeder and that is the reason why I have been unable to raise many more varieties from succeeding generation crosses. The only other one on the market now is a selfed seedling of Nada which is named Darjeeling. This is an improvement over Nada in size of flower and ruffling.
Bulletin of the Seattle Iris Society, November, 1947. Iris Nada, Mrs F.B. Eylar, Seattle, Washington.
Though Nada, the beautiful little crested hybrid, isn't at all happy in my garden and gets frosted each winter, I am always hoping that some year will be warm enough for it to bloom. Our garden is about 800 feet above the Lake and doesn't have the protection of the fogs either. It would be interesting in the next bulletin to have expressions from different members as to what success they do have with it and how located in their garden, for I do know that some members do have complete success with it.
Nada is a hybrid as the result of crossing two of the crested type, japonica and watti. Japonica has orchid-like flowers of a uniform shade of lavender on 2-foot stems with many branches making a huge bouquet of one stem. The blooming season is very early, February to April, so it is for sheltered gardens. The blossoms of Nada are nearly exactly like japonica but the background is white with very delicate shadings of the blue or lavender. When examined closely, the blossoms are exquisitely formed and marked. Many people call japonica Nada, which is incorrect, as Nada is white "japonica."
Watti, the other parent, comes from the southern slopes of the Himalaya mountains with growth habit more like a dwarf bamboo than an iris. The fan of leaves is perched on top of a two- to four foot stem. It is easy to detect the qualities of each of the parents of the beautiful Nada. It has the large, graceful, branched panicle of watti, also the rather bamboo effect in the foliage-the beautiful golden 'crest of watti and the general form of japonica. It is not a showy flower but most exquisite at close range with its fringed style arms and waved petals. I certainly envy the favoured members who can grow it successfully.
Southern California Gardens, Victoria Padilla University of California Press, 1961
One of his earliest introductions was an iris cross that he called 'Nada' which, because of its evergreen foliage and dainty orchid like quality of its numerous flowers, has become one of the most popular iris of its kind in California and in the southern states.
Nada- Houseplant, Joan Cooper, Minnesota.
Leaves grow in broad fans with the largest individual leaves up to two inches wide and twenty inches tall. As they lengthen they droop, leaving the 22 inch bloom stalks displaying their flowers well above the leaves. Bloom stalks have 5 to 7 branches, each with at least three flowers, looming on widely separated days.
Very infrequently there may be too flowers on one steam opening the same day.
Each flower is at least 2½ inches wide and standards and falls are on the same plane.Standards are ½ inch wide by about 1¼ inches long, opening pure white, taking on a slight lavender cast as they age. The shape is unusual with a cat's-eared effect at the tips. Forms are slightly under 1 inch by 1¼ inch, ruffled and fluted, with a bright yellow orange crest and yellow orange dots deep in the throat. Pale lavender dots develop around the crest as the flower ages. The style arms add much interest, are ¼ to ⅜ inch wide by a bit over ½ inch long, pale lavender and unbelievably fringed at the tips. Each flower lasts approximately 28-30 hours, overlapping with the next days blooms.
Iris for Every Garden, Sydney B. Mitchell. Japonicas and Hybrids.
J.N. Giridlian in Arcadia, California has raised from a cross of japonica and Wattii a beautiful hybrid, Nada, and from Nada, a further introduction called Darjeeling. These make lovely garden plants, well-established clumps producing numerous stems with hundreds of butterfly-like blooms, most attractive in the garden and plentiful for cutting.
AIS Checklist 1939
NADA Ev-W1 (Giridlian 1936) Berry 1937 Bull. AIS 68: 69. Feb. 1938 % R., 1937 ( japonica X WATTII) H.M. A.I.S. 1939.
As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©.
Bulletin of the American Iris Society, April 1949, Number 113. Iris Japonica and its Hybrids, J.N. Giridlian, California.The late W. R.Dykes, writing in The Gardeners' Chronicle of May 28, 1921, said,'Among the Evansias something good might come from the crossing of I. watti, which does so well when planted out in a cool house. It ought to cross with I. japonica ..." Mr. Dykes was unable to make the cross because he had no luck in flowering the plants and when they did at last bloom they did not respond to cross pollenization. At best they are shy seeders even in Southern California where they bloom profusely.
It seems that Mr. J. C. Stevens, of Greenville, New York, and myself, working independently, made this cross at about the same time, except that I used the japonica type form and he used the variety Uwodu. At any rate the hybrids raised were both registered in the year 1936, and in both instances 'Watti was used as the pollen parent.
The results obtained, while being equally lovely, are quite distinct in many respects. Mr. Stevens' variety was named Fairyland and mine Nada. The Fairyland plant is unlike either parent. The foliage is very narrow, dark green and superficially resembles a California species. It makes a very compact growth and is quite low-growing. It flowers in April on upright, short-branched stems,with many flowers nearly the size of watti. The color is white heavily and attractively spotted deep violet. It is a good pot plant.
Nada has very large foliage, larger than either parent, bright green, which grows fan-shaped on 12-inch stems. Well grown plants will stand about three feet high. The flowers are produced earlier than Fairyland's and are a shade smaller than those of japonica, but much more numerous. I have had as many as 200 flowers on one stem over a three-month period. I think Nada has more flowers per stem and a longer blooming season than any other iris. The flowers are well ruffled, white with a slight lavender sheen with yellow crest and light lavender spotting in the haft. As the flower stem is strong and wiry, it is held up well and does not flop over. When cut, nearly every bud develops. It makes an excellent house or greenhouse plant and is very attractive when planted in a hanging basket.Nada is not sterile and will produce seeds either selfed or crossed back to either parent. However it is a very shy seeder and that is the reason why I have been unable to raise many more varieties from succeeding generation crosses. The only other one on the market now is a selfed seedling of Nada which is named Darjeeling. This is an improvement over Nada in size of flower and ruffling.
Bulletin of the Seattle Iris Society, November, 1947. Iris Nada, Mrs F.B. Eylar, Seattle, Washington.
Though Nada, the beautiful little crested hybrid, isn't at all happy in my garden and gets frosted each winter, I am always hoping that some year will be warm enough for it to bloom. Our garden is about 800 feet above the Lake and doesn't have the protection of the fogs either. It would be interesting in the next bulletin to have expressions from different members as to what success they do have with it and how located in their garden, for I do know that some members do have complete success with it.
Nada is a hybrid as the result of crossing two of the crested type, japonica and watti. Japonica has orchid-like flowers of a uniform shade of lavender on 2-foot stems with many branches making a huge bouquet of one stem. The blooming season is very early, February to April, so it is for sheltered gardens. The blossoms of Nada are nearly exactly like japonica but the background is white with very delicate shadings of the blue or lavender. When examined closely, the blossoms are exquisitely formed and marked. Many people call japonica Nada, which is incorrect, as Nada is white "japonica."
Watti, the other parent, comes from the southern slopes of the Himalaya mountains with growth habit more like a dwarf bamboo than an iris. The fan of leaves is perched on top of a two- to four foot stem. It is easy to detect the qualities of each of the parents of the beautiful Nada. It has the large, graceful, branched panicle of watti, also the rather bamboo effect in the foliage-the beautiful golden 'crest of watti and the general form of japonica. It is not a showy flower but most exquisite at close range with its fringed style arms and waved petals. I certainly envy the favoured members who can grow it successfully.
Southern California Gardens, Victoria Padilla University of California Press, 1961
One of his earliest introductions was an iris cross that he called 'Nada' which, because of its evergreen foliage and dainty orchid like quality of its numerous flowers, has become one of the most popular iris of its kind in California and in the southern states.
Nada- Houseplant, Joan Cooper, Minnesota.
Leaves grow in broad fans with the largest individual leaves up to two inches wide and twenty inches tall. As they lengthen they droop, leaving the 22 inch bloom stalks displaying their flowers well above the leaves. Bloom stalks have 5 to 7 branches, each with at least three flowers, looming on widely separated days.
Very infrequently there may be too flowers on one steam opening the same day.
Each flower is at least 2½ inches wide and standards and falls are on the same plane.Standards are ½ inch wide by about 1¼ inches long, opening pure white, taking on a slight lavender cast as they age. The shape is unusual with a cat's-eared effect at the tips. Forms are slightly under 1 inch by 1¼ inch, ruffled and fluted, with a bright yellow orange crest and yellow orange dots deep in the throat. Pale lavender dots develop around the crest as the flower ages. The style arms add much interest, are ¼ to ⅜ inch wide by a bit over ½ inch long, pale lavender and unbelievably fringed at the tips. Each flower lasts approximately 28-30 hours, overlapping with the next days blooms.
Iris for Every Garden, Sydney B. Mitchell. Japonicas and Hybrids.
J.N. Giridlian in Arcadia, California has raised from a cross of japonica and Wattii a beautiful hybrid, Nada, and from Nada, a further introduction called Darjeeling. These make lovely garden plants, well-established clumps producing numerous stems with hundreds of butterfly-like blooms, most attractive in the garden and plentiful for cutting.
AIS Checklist 1939
NADA Ev-W1 (Giridlian 1936) Berry 1937 Bull. AIS 68: 69. Feb. 1938 % R., 1937 ( japonica X WATTII) H.M. A.I.S. 1939.
As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©.
