Tall Bearded Iris "LATIN LOVER "

40 years old next year, another reliable Historic Iris I grow and its a re-bloomer. Good Straight stems, multi budded with branching, and a plant with high Health and shows good increase. The beard colouration is a wonder of nature and plant breeding, it's a great feature and I love it!

AIS Bulletin April 1969, page 88;
GEORGE SHOOP (Hybridiser) Portland Oregon.
LATIN LOVER (Shoop 69) Mid-season. 36" Lavender-pink standards, ruffled and closed. Grape-wine falls with a distinctive lavender-pink rim on the top and reverse side of the ruffled, flaring falls.Tangerine beards. Good substance and form. An exciting new bicolor. Good stalk and plant. 64-16 (long line of pink amoena seedlings x Whole Cloth) X Wine and Roses. 
H.C.1968, 34 votes..........................$25.00

Cooley's Gardens catalog 1974:
This wine and pink bicolor is most distinguished with its rich, velvety grape-wine falls and a lavender-pink pin stripe around the edge. Standards lavender-pink, well closed - tangerine beard. Strong stalks and good growing habits.



AIS Checklist 1969
LATIN LOVER (G. Shoop, R. 1969). Sdlg. 64-16. TB 36" M. RV3PF. S light lavender-pink; F grape wine with light lavender-pink rim; tangerine beard; ruffled. (Inv. pink amoena sdlgs. x Whole Cloth) X Wine and Roses., Shoop 1969. HC 1968,HM 1970, AM 1972.

The variety is available in New Zealand from commercial iris growers who I have had no dealings with to date, or commercial iris growers that I have purchased plants from but would not recommend others to do so.
Available in America from Riverview Iris Gardens, Bluebird Haven Iris Garden, Blue J Iris, The Irises of Shadowood.
As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter