Intermediate Iris 'RASPBERRY ACRES'

This Intermediate Iris has a increase similar to weeds, virtually un-stoppable.This early blooming Iris has increase similar to weeds, virtually un-stoppable. It's  bloom colouring is distinctively old fashioned, reminds me of you know toile, or  if that doesn't ring a bell how about red and cream transferware! Get what I mean?? Great to grow somewhere near the front of the border.
It's pod parentage is from Jim Gibson's Award winning 1960 introduction 'Henna Stitches' described by Cooleys as 'A very bright combination of frosty white and gleaming henna-copper'.
Raspberry Acres, has an interesting pollen parent pedigree which is the seedling F4 .
Seedling F4 pod parent is Cretica a very old dainty small rose-purple form of I.pumila (a clone or natural Hybrid) that apparently was collected on the island of Crete by Atchley about 1929 and was registered by a vote of the Board of Directors of the AIS in 1952. A 32 chromosome Iris with the plª allele which gives this Iris ( Cretica) the ability take the plicata pattern of the tall bearded iris and transfer this when crossed to produce a first generation plicata in Median and Dwarf Irises, and undoubtedly is the genetic link which helps join the dots. The pollen parent of Seedling F4 is David Hall's 1951 Dykes Medal Tall Bearded Iris 'Cherie'. The most famous of all the Hall flamingo Pinks' a bright medium pink with large ruffled blooms.( a cross of sdlg.42-07 X Fantasy(from several generations of seedling involving Rameses, Dauntless, Jean Cayeux, Morocco Rose))

An iris which has a genetic History+, and in my opinion still has an interesting breeding potential for use in the median plicata field and as I have noted that it does set seed. 

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October 1969, Number 195.
Intermediate and Standard Dwarf Bearded, Alta Brown.
RASPBERRY ACRES (Greenlee '68), lovely white ground, raspberry-rose plicata:

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October 1969, Number 195.
 Flightlines. The Little Early Ones, Mildred Brizendine, Topeka, Kansas.
Of the IBs, I feel ARABI TREASURE was the best in every respect. Wilma Greenlee's come next. Her reds, INDIAN FIRE and 64-6, are outstanding. RASPBERRY ACRES and SNOW CHERRIES are red plics.

Mission Bell Gardens, Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen, Roy Utah. Iris for 1973
RASPBERRY ACRES. (Greenlee '68) E. 18in. White ground plicata marked with raspberry. pink, brown; beard white brown tipped. Dainty. (Henna Stitches) X (F4 Cretica x Cherie). HM'72

4~ Square Iris Gardens, Eau Claire,Wisconsin, Cold Climate Iris, 1982.
RASPBERRY ACRES. (Greenlee 1968) White ground plicata sanded raspberry-pink and brown...........................................0.79¢
The reason I have included this short and to the point listing is that the catalogue states "plants are grown in a very harsh climate. Temperatures from -40°F in winter and up to 100°F in the summer. Coupled with the harsh climate is a short growing season," this would most likely indicate 'Raspberry Acres' is a hardy iris

AIS Checklist 1969
RASPBERRY ACRES (W. Greenlee, R. 1968). Sdlg. 67-2. IB 18" E. W2RV-O. White ground plicata sanded raspberry pink and brown; white beard tipped brown. Henna Stitches X Greenlee rose-pink sdlg. (F4 Cretica x Cherie)., Greenlee 1968.

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