Tall Bearded Historic Iris "MARBLED MOHR" or is it a Arilbred????

Christmas Blessings to you all.
If I had to pick an Iris which epitomised my year it has to be Marbled Mohr. It kinda is one type of Iris but it ain't, and lets face it, when you see such beauty the politics of Iris registration takes a definite back seat. Maybe, it just is one of those situations when,"If it looks like a Arilbred,Grows like an Arilbred, you know, it just might be an Arilbred"
Problems like these in Iris Nomenclature will be eliminated when the meaning of 'Cumulative" is discovered and embraced by more than just the few Iris Societies that have already done so.


Tell's Iris Gardens. Provo, Utah. Iris Catalog and Hybridizers Handbook 1959
Greetings 1959,
Then I have a William Mohr seedling I have kept around a long time because it always performs well. This I have named MARBLED MOHR. It is in the same color-range as SPLASHES but unlike it an easy grower. It carries a fine plicata heritage and I can see its use in a worthy plicata program.
1959 Introductions
MARBLED MOHR* (Tell Muhlestein). Early-Midseason. 40 inches. (William Mohr.) X (47-15 ((Midwest x Mme. Louis Aureau) x (Aldura)).
Large Mohr-type flower of medium violet splashed white'. Good growth and bloom. Could be a great plicata parent. .. .. ... $5.00 

Its registered as a Tall Bearded Iris yet the 1959 American Iris Society (AIS) Checklist notes it as a "Mohr Type".
MARBLED MOHR (Muhlestein, R. 1958). TB 40" E-M. V2M. Medium violet, splashed white (Mohr type). William Mohr x (Midwest x Madame Louis Aureau) x Aldura)., Tell 1959.

The Aril Society International (ASI) in its 2006 Checklist notes Marbled Mohr under APPENDIX C "OTHER THAN" [OT] Iris which have been registered with the American Iris Society as "other than" arilbreds. They usually contain 1/4 aril complement.

The Historic Iris Preservation Society has a Comprehensive Checklist of Aril and Arilbred Cultivars: This is an alphabetical checklist of cultivars based on American Iris Society registrations through 1996 and Aril Society International records through 1996. It contains historical information and notes on the cultivars in addition to "standard" checklist information. Compiled by Kay Nelson Keppel and Sharon McAllister.A great example of what a Cumulative Checklist can do and its listing is thus.
MARBLED MOHR AB (Tell Muhlestein, R. 1958). Sdlg # N/A. TB, 40", E-M. William Mohr x ((Midwest x Madame Louis Aureau) x Aldura). Medium violet splashed white. Tell, 1959.
Notes: registered as a TB but qualifies as an OB- in both systems. Ref: AIS '59, p. 122; ASI '76, p.53.

Good to see that someone has got it right. Big Hat tip to Dorothy Stiefel

Available in New Zealand from The Iris Garden so be sure to get your order in.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version. Reproduction in whole or in part of this post, its opinions or its images without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited. Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©.

See you all in the New Year and thanks for visiting in 2009.

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"That old Jap Magic has me in its spell"

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A visit to Eddie Johns and his Otara Birch Gardens is always one of the great highlight of the Iris year. This is the largest collection of Japanese Irises in New Zealand and makes for an impressive display. Some of his new seedlings show real potential. A few of the photos taken yesterday.
Big hat tip to Eddie Johns for his hospitality.









Photo Credit and Copyright Iris Hunter





Click on any image to Supersize

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New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris "KINGSTON GLORY"

We have grown this iris at home for two years, but only bloomed in its second season. My initial thoughts were before checking the label that it was most likely Bernard Hamner's 1994 introduction 'Burgundy Party' and what was it doing growing there? But when reading the label and double checking my notes and garden map, I found out the Iris to be the widely acknowledged shy blooming New Zealand bred iris 'Kingston Glory'.
With good closed form in it's Standards, a nice amount of ruffling on both the standards and the falls, and with a not to excessive amount of veining extending from the haft down a significant third of the falls, giving 'Kingston Glory' a retro look of sorts. It's a soft bi-tone of burgundy-lilac colours which are sun-fast. Foliage has a purple bottom to it (PBF).
All and all, a better looking and a more structurally sound bloom than 'Burgundy Party', but lets itself down by being an sporadic bloomer a trait that happens a lot with the progeny of 'Bewilderbeast'. Branching inconsistent and bud count is lacking so far, but I will continue to grow this iris with interest and hope it looses interest in been shy.

AIS Checklist 2003
KINGSTON GLORY (Noel Lapham, R. 2003). Sdlg. 98-86x. TB, 32" (80 cm), M. S. light rosy lavender; F. deep velvety rosy wine red, white ground at haft with rosy wine red markings; beards gold; lightly ruffled; slight fragrance. Honky Tonk Blues X Bewilderbeast. Begg Shield 2001. Mossburn Iris Gardens 2003.


Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter

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Tall Bearded Iris "GYPSY ROMANCE"

For the past 6 years the award winning 'Gypsy Romance' has consistently created a great deal of attention in my garden. A rich ruffled violet raspberry self (RHS 77A) with a most attractive beard. Clumps up very well and in no time at all becomes a very impressive display. Flowers of good form and ample size. It's one of the few Irises that makes my bucket list (one you need to grow and see before you kick the bucket) Interesting parentage R 720-D: (Louisiana Lace x Entourage) X T 879-B: (L556-1: (G 510-A x Fabulous Frills) x Starcrest)

CONTEMPORARY VIEWS—1994/1995, Perry Dyer. 
GYPSY ROMANCE (Schreiner 1994) is a rich deep cranberry, deeper and larger than ‘Thriller’ (Schreiner) with much improved plant habits. The hafts are imprinted with a small portion of smooth chocolate. Stalks are a superb modified candelabra, with 4 branches, double budded, with excellent sequencing of bloom and later secondary stalks, further extending its bloom season. Overall form is tighter and improved over the Schreiners’ 1992 offering of similar nature, ‘Mulberry Punch’.

Schreiners Iris Lovers Catalog 2002
GYPSY ROMANCE ML 37"
Wide undulating ruffling creates an enchanting appeal on Gypsy Romance's large well formed flowers. Its blue purple beards seductively contrasts the rich violet-mulberry color of its petals HM'96, AM'98, Wister Medal '02

AIS Checklist 1999
GYPSY ROMANCE Schreiner, Reg. 1994 Sdlg. W 603-1. TB, 37" (94 cm), ML ; Ruffled violet raspberry (RHS 77A), hafts washed bronze; beards blue purple. R 720-D: (Louisiana Lace x Entourage) X T 879-B: (L556-1: (G 510-A x Fabulous Frills) x Starcrest). Schreiner 1994. HM 1996, AM 1998, Wister 2002.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version. Reproduction in whole or in part of this post, its opinions or its images without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited. Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©.

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'Libertia peregrinans' New Zealand Iris

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New Zealand's only genus of the worldwide distributed Iris family (Iridaceae) is LIBERTIA SPRENGEI of which there are 4 recognised native species. Libertia peregrinans is one of the native species growing in the gardens just outside Parliament Buildings Lampton Quay in an area known as Waitiki Landing

The plant is used extensively by the Wellington City Parks and Reserves Department and is planted in many public gardens around the Capitol City. It's tiny white flowers which are still on some plants outside the National Archives and at Glover Park but plantings at Waitiki Landing have finished flowering and photos show an abundance of seed. Colourful Orange Green foliage which becomes more vivid when the plant is stressed certainly makes a statement. Can handle poor soils and harsh conditions which makes the plant ideal for amenity plantings. Plant has short creeping Rhizomes with fibrous roots

Formerly widespread in its Native habitat the plant is now classified as Vulnerable.

Click on photo to enlarge image

Photo Credit and Copyright Iris Hunter

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New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris "SOUTHERN AUTUMN"

One of the highlights of this bloom season was the flowering of another Ron Busch Iris 'SOUTHERN AUTUMN" which performed great in the inclement weather. Good growth with eight to ten buds on very strong stalks, Standards a rosy grey white, Wine brick red ruffled semi-flaring falls with an edge the same colour as standards. Mustard gold beard enhances the colour combination. Whilst it was just its first year at home the colouration was stand out, it is floriferous, and has the potential to make a stunning clump. My understanding is that it is fertile both ways. An impressive Iris which would more than hold its own in its class internationally.Since the introduction of 'Finest Hour' this iris is the best New Zealand attempt at a red amoena in many decades.The breeding of red Irises or in fact a red amoena is the Holy Grail of the Iris world yet this iris was able to avoid been given an award of any sort, but in the New Zealand Iris world that isn't really a bombshell is it ??

AIS Checklist 1999
SOUTHERN AUTUMN (R. Busch, R. 1991). Sdlg. 8355/4. TB, 40" (102 cm), M. S. rose white flushed cream; F. brick red, light cream edge; beards golden brown. Parentage unknown. Irwell Iris Gardens, 1992.

Southern Autumn can be purchased in New Zealand by writing to, Jill Coates, 73 Ormond Road, Gisborne.

Big Hat tip to Ron Busch, a very clever man and one of New Zealands best Iris hybridisers.
Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter

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New Zealand Tall Bearded Historic Iris "NINA LEVETT"

The very late blooming 'Nina Levett' is often confused with a earlier blooming iris which grows at about the same height named, 'Pink Advance". 'Nina Levett' is the pod parent of 'Pink Advance'. Photo above is from the plant gifted to me by the late Shirley Spicer, of Wanganui.

Stevens Bros, Bulls, Catalogue of Irises, 1937-38.
NINA LEVETT
A lovely tall pink of regal carriage.The large flowers are an even shade of lilac pink, and are carried on well-branched 4 1/2 foot stems. Exceptionally vigorous.

The Iris Society Year Book (BIS) 1942.
Awards by the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley, 1942.
NINA LEVETT (Raised by Miss.P.Levett,NZ) A.M. 20th June 1941.
Vigorous and of rapid increase with erect, glacous-green foliage, 24 inches tall.Flower stems 48 inches tall erect, somewhat zigzagged,8-flowered.
Flowers extra large, stiff and well proportioned.Standards domed approaching Imperial Purple (33/2) Falls pinched, a tone of Imperial
Purple between (33/1 and 33/2) Veins distinct, brownish on haft.Beard Orange. Flowering for ten days from 18th June. (J.B.Dumas X Aurelle.)
(All Reports for Iris trial's at Wisley tend to be very descriptive and accurate)

Jean Stevens in 1950 writes in regards to the Levett's.
'As the years went by the quality of their seedlings kept improving, and the flowering season became even more exciting than hitherto. About 1935 they flowered a large new seedling of a bright lilac pink which they named Nina Levett after their mother. This was introduced in England by Orpington Nurseries who sent plants to the Wisley Trial Grounds. In 1941 Nina Levett was given an Award of Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society'.

The Royal Horticultural Society colour descriptions,Standards Imperial Purple (33/2) and Falls Purple between (33/1 and 33/2) show how completely inadequate the 1939 Check List colour chart was in it's time and also make the 1939 and 1949 Check List colour descriptions for 'Nina Levett' irrelevant. In the 1934 BIS Year Book (in an article by a Dr. Sansome who quotes Marc Simonet), he states that one of Nina Levetts parents, J. B. Dumas is a triploid with 37 chromosomes. Triploids usually aren't the most fertile of parents, so that makes Nina even more interesting!! It should also be noted that The Royal Horticultural Society state that Nina Levett parentage is (J.B.Dumas X Aurelle.) yet the 1939 AIS checklist entry is (...) X (J.B. Dumas x Aurelle) which the later implies that another Iris was in the mix. My opinion is that 'The Royal Horticultural Society' in its colour descriptions and parentage 'trumps all'.

AIS Checklist 1939
NINA LEVETT (Miss P. Levett, R. 1939). TB, VL, B1L; (...) X (J.B. Dumas x Aurelle). Orpington. 1939.

It would not be unrealistic to state that the few irises growing in New Zealand as 'Nina Levett' are wrongly labelled and I am somewhat reluctant to post New Zealand bred Irises on this blog as it leads to a deluge of 'look-a-like' irises, and some not even remotely 'look-a-like' irises, listed for sale on the internet as the real deal, and it it is not in anybody's interest to add to the existing large pile of very expensive miss-named irises that live in the cyberspace known as 'Trade Me'!!!! New Zealander's interested in heirloom irises need to have a confidence in their ability to Identify Irises and not merely accept that because an Iris was received or purchased with the name given it is true to label, after all these are New Zealand raised Irises, surely we should have some idea of our Iris heritage!!!!

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this post, its opinions or its images without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©. 

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New Zealand Intermediate Bearded Iris 'LUCY'S BLUE SILK '

Quite the little surprise package is this New Zealand bred Intermediate Iris which grows along side 'Moon Tike' and are two of the very late flowering Intermediate Irises in our collection.

A high health plant which grows well and always shows good increase and would adapt well to growing in most gardens. Slight but nice scent.

1989 AIS checklist
LUCY'S BLUE SILK (L. Delaney by H. Catton, R. 1985). IB 24" (60 cm) M-L. Light sky blue; white beard. Unknown parentage., Catton 1986/87.

Not sold commercially in New Zealand, but if you can find it I recommend you buy or trade it.

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Getting it Right

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An article in the AIS bulletin 353, April 2009 "Unsung Heroes of the Plant World" goes on at length espousing the advantages of joining a plant society - no doubt admirable thoughts. This blog has always promoted joining reputable plant societies.
But societies can undo decades of trust and creditability by promoting, selling or registering Irises with dubious names.
Take for instance a recent event. A lady (Who I shall call Mrs.B) from the district where I live attended an Iris show in Palmerston North in 2007. This show was sanctioned by the official Iris Society of New Zealand. The lady purchased an Iris labelled 'Beverly Sills’ from the sales table and was told the colour would be pink. Nothing wrong with this so far.

When she got home Mrs.B tipped the iris from its pot and was about to plant it when another label was discovered which read ‘Sapphire Hills’.This is where I entered the frame. When Mrs B. rang me explaining the circumstances I said she now had a chance of growing either a really good pink or a really good light blue. Had it turned out that way it would have been an compromise as Mrs B. really wanted a Pink Iris but an acceptable result. Problem is when the Iris flowered it was a red brown blend (photo above) that no one knows the name. Mrs B. has now pulled the iris from the garden and is now looking for a nice pink Iris to replace it. There is now one really disappointed member of the public who when this Iris group is mentioned is not slow in coming forward and telling the story above. From what I have been hearing lately this is far from a one-off.

Where does the author of this article slot the above described scenario when he states, “ Societies promote the dissemination of accurate information and sponsor research to learn more. They are the reliable sources"?
The New Zealand club goes and publishes the same article in its own booklet just recently.

Maybe the editor included it as an example of something they could aspire to.

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