French Historic Tall bearded Iris OCHRACEA-COERULEA

This iris has a confused past with its name which was changed to Sunset because apparently the name 'Ochracea-Coerulea' was considered 'Clumsy'. I covered this issue in the post 'The Iris Re-Christened SUNSET', originally published in 'The Garden' in 1922. As you can see below Lee Bonnewitz discription of the iris in his 1926 catalogue was also confusing. 
Ochracea-Coerulea is without doubt a stylish iris that one could expect to see at Giverny, the Gardens of Claude Monet or possibly it is in the Iris collection at Sissinghurst Castle Gardens. These irises are once again becoming available for purchase from commercial growers, and I'm sure they will create a renewed interest in classic irises and be wildly popular with gardeners who appreciate real class. The amazing photo taken by Nathalie Faivre in the Gardens at Parc Floral de Paris.

The Garden, June 17, 1922.
New and Rare Plants.
Iris ochracea-coerulea. A very delightful Iris. The standards are copper coloured and the falls have brown reticulations with a yellow base. The blade is bluish, shading to copper. Award of Merit. This variety was raised by Mr. Denis of Balaruc-les-Bains and shown by Mr. W. R. Dykes.

The Garden, June 24, 1922.
Among the June Irises.
The richly if sombrely tinted Sunset, also illustrated, also marks a notable advance. It received a well deserved award of merit at the recent Iris Show under the clumsy name I. ochracea coerulea. Very free flowering and an excellent grower, its good form the picture will attest. It is, we understand, to be distributed this autumn by Messrs. G. G. Whitelegg and Co.

Millet et Fils, Bourg-la-Reine, Seine, France. Catalogue 1922
OCHRACEA-COERULEA (Denis) très tàrdif, jaune citron et mauve lilacè, violet cobée, coloris original.

The Gardener's Chronicle 1922.
Awards of Merit
Iris Ochracea-Coerulea. — In this charming variety the standards are bright copper colour and the semi-horizontal falls are yellow based, with brown reticulations, while the blade is dull blue, shading to copper. Raised bv M. Denis, of Balaruc les-Bains. Shown by W. R. Dykes, Esq.

The Gardener's Chronicle 1922

Cayeux & Le Clerc, Quai de la Mègisserie, 8, Paris. Catalog 1923
Ochracea-Coerulea (Denis 1919).S.old gold colour. F. of the same tone tinted blue-lilac and cobea violet. Pretty and distinct colour. Vigorous plant, very free and late flowering. Has been also named 'Sunset'. This iris has obtained a Certificate of Merit S.N.H.F. when shown by us on May 1922.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, January 1925, Number 14.
Impressions of Irises Seen Abroad in June 1924, Mrs. Silas B. Waters, Cincinnati.
Ochracea-Caerulea is indeed a beautiful iris and quite distinct in its coloring and well nigh indescribable. It received a special award of merit in 1922. Undoubtedly the latter part of its name was chosen because of the exquisite undertone of blue which gives to its varying shades of gold its translucent beauty. It has so much of charm not alone in color but in form and substance, delicately beautiful yet not fragile looking. It will make a fascinating picture in the garden as well as meet any competitor on exhibition.

Lee R. Bonnewitz Catalog,Van Wert, Ohio,1926.
SUNSET (Denis) - Ochracea-Coerulea
S. dull lavender bordered yellow. F. same colour as the standards. Yellow and tan reticulations at base of falls. Yellow beards. Late. This variety was originated by Denis and named Ochracea Coerulea but it attained its greatest popularity in England, where in 1922 it received an "Award of Merit", and by some means the name was changed to Sunset. Its color is the nearest approach to gold of any Iris I know, and the quality of its petals is superior to that of a great many varieties. Although it will eventually be lower in price, I do not hesitate to advise its purchase now. 

Elizabeth Hardy Iris Gardens, Kentfield, Marin County, California. 1927 Catalog.
Irises of a Later Introduction.
SUNSET (Denis) The standards of this lovely iris are like cloth of gold, the falls are the same but suffused blue violet. A strong grower, free flowering, late and scented. Stock limited. Rating 83 (AIS).

Barr and Sons, King Street, Covent Garden. Nurseries Taplow, Bucks. 1928 Catalogue.
Ochracea-Coerulea (syn Sunset) (Squalens). Denis 1919
Standards of a bronzy old gold colour. Falls  edged golden-bronze,centre shading to lilac,beard orange,a beautiful and distinct variety. 34 in. Late flowering A. M. R.H.S.

Royal Iris Garden, Frazer, Pennsylvania. 1932 Catalog.
OCHRACAE (Denis 1919) 40"
A lovely blend of pastel shades. S. old gold, F. old gold,with central suffusion of lavender. Unique in color, it grows and blooms well, and is one of our latest irises, making a splendid mass of bloom  after all else is gone. Indispensable.

Carl Salbach, Berkeley, California, Iris and Selected Seed Catalog, 1934.
OCHRACAE-COERULEA (Denis 1919)
The standards are like cloth of gold, the falls the same but suffused blue violet. A strong grower, free flowering, very late and scented.

AIS Checklist 1939
OCHRACAE-COERULEA TB-MLa- S4L (Denis 1919)  (Darius X .........)

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version. Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Nathalie Faivre for her amazing photo, and Parc Floral de Paris for the use of the photo, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, and catalogue listings.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Parc Floral is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Nathalie Faivre and Parc Floral de Paris © .

2014 Tall Bearded Iris GRANDE COQUETTE

This is Richard Cayeux favourite introduction for 2014 and is certainly a stand out Iris with that 'let me show you a thing or two about colour' look that certainly pushes the boundaries. Its both elegant and bold. (Now who would of thought that combination was possible?)

Cayeux, La Carcaudière, Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lover's Catalogue, 2014.
New 2014 varieties created by Cayeux.
GRANDE COQUETTE
Tall bearded - Late - Height :95cm
Entirely new: large flowers with pale blue standards and greenish yellow falls. Orange beards. A very unusual contrast similar in style to the standard dwarf "Real Coquette". Very attractive and easy to place in mixed borders. Late and prolific flowering. (9 buds per stem).

Don't forget to visit the Cayeux Web Site.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adams for her direction and help with the French Language.

Reproduction in whole or in part of these photo without the expressed written permission of Richard Cayeux is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux. 

French Historic Tall Bearded Iris SERAPHITA

Classic form with dazzling colours that would give your garden zing and a whole lot of zang. A stylish iris that one could expect to see at Giverny, the Gardens of Claude Monet. These irises are once again becoming available for purchase from commercial growers, and I'm sure they will create a renewed interest in classic irises and be wildly popular with gardeners who appreciate real class.
Séraphîta is the title of a French novel by Honoré de Balzac published in 1834 in the 'Revue de Paris'.

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1942
Nouveautés d'Iris de mon obtention 1942-1943
Séraphîta. Divisions supérieures héliotrope fumé. Divisions inférieures étalées violet rose à grande gorge 

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1949.
Séraphîta Smoky heliotrope standards. Pinky purple falls, almost horizontal. Large yellow throat. A very fine variety. Height 2 1/2 feet.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, July 1951, Number 122.
List of varieties of Irises from 1939 till 1949 and 1950 For the Alphabetical Iris CheckList of the A. I. S. as far as obtainable.
Remainder Irises Out of the Catalogue (English) Rene Cayeux 1949 (Abstract), Breeder F. Cayeux.
SERAPHITA Smoky heliotrope standards. Pinky purple falls. Large yellow throat. A very fine variety. M.L. Put in sale before 1948. 

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1952.
Séraphita. M. H. 1m. Superbe variété de nuance attrayante et distincte. P. héliotrope fumé, S. presque horizontales rose pourpré sur lesquelles contrastent des barbes orange vif, la fleur de forme parfaite et de bonne taille est portée par des hampes très ramifiées.

Jean Cayeux, Poilly-Lez-Gien,Loiret (France) Iris, Hemerocalles, Pivoines, 1961.
Séraphîta. M. Hauteur 1m. Hampes fines et ramifiées portant de jolies fleurs violet aniline clair teinté d'héliotrope.

Cayeux, La Carcaudière - Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lovers Catalogue, 2014.
SERAPHITA (Cayeux 1946) Tall bearded - Mid-season - size: 100cm - colour: Violet
Slender and well branched stalks carrying graceful, light aniline violet flowers. Standards are lighter and more pink. Golden yellow styles and beards. A decorative and rather long flowering variety.

AIS Checklist 1949
SERAPHITA (Cayeux 1946) TB-M-R3M

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, and catalogue listings.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Richard Cayeux is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux © .

French Historic Tall Bearded Iris PAILLASSE

Truly an amazing Iris with great presence. Historical + and a variety that gives an insight to just how French hybridisers  in the 20's and the 30's were so well advanced in the field of colour, size of bloom, producing flowers of world class in the classic form. I'm so glad these stylish irises that one would expect to see at Giverny, the Gardens of Claude Monet are once again becoming available for purchase from commercial growers, and I'm sure they will create a renewed interest in these classic irises and be wildly popular with gardeners.

Vilmorin Andrieux & Cie, 4 Quai de la Mégisserie, Paris (1er), Plantes 1938.
Paillasse (Cayeux nouveauté 1936). Divisions supérieures jaune d'or légèrement teinté de lilas. Divisions inférieures rouge bordeaux très strié et bordé de jaune bronzé. Gros effet d'opposition de couleurs. Tardif. Haut 0m90.

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1939
Varieties my obtention put into commerce before 1937
PAILLASSE (Cayeux 1936)
S. gold yellow slightly tinted lilac. F. wine red ground quite striated and edged bronzy yellow. Strong effect of the opposition of colour, late flowering. Height 3 feet.

Cooleys Gardens, Silverton, Oregon. Iris Catalog, 1951.
PAILLASSE (Cayeux) Each 40c; 3 for $1.00
A French introduction resembling in some ways the popular Marquita, but with more cinnamon-rose color in the falls and considerable of this tint blended in the standards. The ground color is deep cream. A really different Iris and a good grower and free bloomer; seldom seen.

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1952.
Paillasse. T.T. Hauteur 0m70. Ce semis de Marquita est une réplique plus foncée et en possède  toutes les qualités, tout en en étant bien différente. Pétales jaune doré, sépales rouge fraise foncé bordé bronze. Très bon coloris.

Jean Cayeux, Poilly-Lez-Gien,Loiret (France) Iris Hemerocalles,Pivoines, 1961.
Paillasse. T.T. Hauteur 0m70. Ce semis de Marquita est une réplique plus foncée et en possède  toutes les qualités, tout en en étant bien différente.

Cayeux, La Carcaudière - Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lovers Catalogue, 2014.
PAILLASSE Tall bearded - Very late - size:70cm - colour:Bi-colour
A direct descendant of "Marquita" with ivory petals edged with golden yellow. Dark strawberry- red falls with a thin light bronze border. Bright yellow beards.

AIS Checklist 1939
PAILLASSE TB-MLa-Y9D (Cay.1936); Cay.1936 ; 1938; R., 1936

AIS Checklist 1949
PAILLASSE. Etc.; (Cay.1936); R., 1936 (MARQUITA X REDALGA) ;etc. (new data)

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, and catalogue listings.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Richard Cayeux is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux © .

2014 Tall Bearded Iris ASTANA

Heritage Irises are privileged to have been asked to feature some of the 2014 New Varieties created by Richard Cayeux.
European Irises do not always get the exposure to the English speaking media that they justly deserve so I thought 'OK, 
lets give them a plug'.
Don't forget to visit the Cayeux Web Site.

Cayeux, La Carcaudière, Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lover's Catalogue, 2014.
New 2014 varieties created by Cayeux.
ASTANA
Tall bearded - Mid-season - Height :85cm
Inheriting its excellent branching and numerous buds from its father, "Coup de Soleil", a pleasant medium copper-pink, slightly darker on the standards. Tangerine beards. Long flowering season and very vigorous.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adams for her direction and help with the French Language.

Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux.

2014 Tall bearded Iris AILE VOLANTE

Heritage Irises are privileged to have been asked to feature some of the 2014 New Varieties created by Richard Cayeux. This Space Age Iris is an absolute  vivid masterpeice. 
European Irises do not always get the exposure to the English speaking media that they justly deserve so I thought 'OK' lets give them a plug.
Don't forget to visit the Cayeux Web Site.

Cayeux, La Carcaudière, Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lover's Catalogue, 2014.
New 2014 varieties created by Cayeux.
AILE VOLANTE
Tall bearded - Mid-season to late - Height :85cm
Bright pink standards with slight purple hues on the edges; pale pink falls with a wide magenta-coloured brim. Coral red beards lengthened by a lovely magenta spoon. A spectacular, well branched "space-age" iris much appreciated by our visitors in 2013. 8 buds on average.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adams for her direction and help with the French Language.

Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux.

2014 Tall Bearded Iris BAIE DES ANGES

Heritage Irises are privileged to have been asked to feature some of the 2014 New Varieties created by Richard Cayeux.
European Irises do not always get the exposure to the English speaking media that they justly deserve so I thought 'OK' lets give them a plug.
Don't forget to visit the Cayeux Web Site. 

Cayeux, La Carcaudière, Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lover's Catalogue, 2014.
New 2014 varieties created by Cayeux
BAIE DES ANGES
Tall bearded - Mid-season - Height :80cm
A very attractive solid light to medium blue with bright tangerine beards. This iris is a descendant of "Princesse Caroline de Monaco" and "Eau Vive", both blue with tangerine coloured beards. Medium sized flowers with a lovely shape. We feel that the pureness of tone  compensates for the relatively small number of buds (6-7 on average).

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

Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adams for her direction and help with the French Language.

Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux.

CLEOME, Spider Flower, Spider Legs, Grandfather's Whiskers, Cats Whiskers.

Curtis's Botanical Magazine, vol. 40, 1814

CLEOME SPINOSA.  PRICKLY CLEOME.

Class and Order.

TETRADYNAMIA SILIQUOSA

This is undoubtedly the same plant that is described and figured by WILLDENOW, under the name of CLEOME  pungens, in his Hortus Berolinenfis ( Berolini, Apud G. Reimer,1827-33); but we see no reason to support it to be distinct from CLEOME spinosa of Linnaeus.
The author himself observes that they are very similar, but that this differs in being more lofty and in having constantly five, never seven, leaflets, and in being clammy. But the latter circumstance is particularly mentioned by JACQUIN, in his description of spinosa; and Mr. Anderson assures us, that the leaves of our plant, when young and vigorous, had frequently seven leaflets. As to the height there is no remarkable difference in his account and that of JACQUIN, if there were any weight in such a distinction.
Though generally considered as annual and indeed usually flowering the first year, yet in our stoves [Ref 1] it is a perennial, or at least a biennial, and blooms perfectly in the second year.
Native of the West Indies. Cultivated by MILLER before the year 1731. Flowers in July and August. Propagated by seeds, and is constantly kept in the stove [Ref 1]. Our drawing was taken at Mr. VERE'S at Kengsington-Gore, in July, 1812.

[Ref 1] Stove: To keep warm, in a house or room, by artificial heat; as, to stove orange trees. 

The older varieties blooms do have an offensive smell, self seed all over the place, are tall and leggy and have thorns.
The more modern cultivars perform really well have a pleasant slight mint scent or none at all, they are thorn free and are little more compact, some are sterile.
Technically a annual but sometimes can last two seasons around here depending on the severity of the winter and spring frosts.
Cleome are great lookers in the perennial border with its attractive blooms and foliage, and give extra height to the back of the border. Blooms are sun fast and plants and blooms handle the summer heat well. These are visually high impact plants that can be planted in mass for a very small cost. Keep water up to them in high heat like today 33°C + (At the time I wrote this)

My advice is "Give them a home"!!! you will not regret it.

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

Iris Species X HOLDEN CLOUGH

It's thanks to the bee's and the chance find and intrigue of a plantsman. Its pedigree may never be really known, but my what a beautiful exotic looking flower that originated from England no less. Named after the nursery where the plant originated and is  still sold today at the Holden Clough Nursery, Bolton-by-Bowland, in Lancashire. Considered to be a 'Water or Bog Iris' but so long as you take care not to let the plant dry out in the summer season until the plant is established it will grow well in the regular garden, and I find it does appreciate a bit of midday dappled shade.

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1971, Holden Clough - An Unusual Iris Hybrid. Donald M. Patton.
Walking around a nursery in Yorkshire we noticed a short row of Iris whose foliage was unfamiliar but although it was not yet in Bloom and the staff of the nursery, in the absence of the proprietor, could give no information about it, a plant was purchased and taken home. When early in June the first flower opened it was seen to be one that did not match any known species or hybrid. There was however, some resemblance to I. pseudacorus. On making further enquiries at the nursery it was established that the plant was an odd one out of a batch of seedlings raised from a pod of seed taken from a plant of I.chrysographes. All the other seedlings appear to be similar to I.chrysographes.
A plant was given to Dr Jack Ellis who made a chromosome count and found that 2n=37. If we accept that the plant came from I.chrysographes seed then since the chromosome number of that species is 40 that of the other parent must be 34 and this fits I. pseudacorus. It appears that I. pseudacorus was not actually growing the nursery where the hybrid originated but it has been known to grow wild nearby and it is not unlikely that bees carried the pollen to the nursery. Pending closer examination of the chromosomes, therefore we feel satisfied that the hybrid is I.chrysographes X I. pseudacorus although this is a cross not previously recorded.
Apart from its botanical interest the new hybrid is quite an attractive garden plant with a very unusual flower colour. It is, therefore been registered under the name of 'Holden Clough' to commemorate the nursery where it originated and the plants will be obtainable from the nursery of Mr Linnegar.
The plant is less vigourous than I. pseudacorus but has many similarities including the leaves which have a distinct rib and are about 24 inches high. The flower is yellow, closely veined purple and the general effect is brown. The falls are flaring and have a bright yellow spot pattern created by a deepening of the veining around the spot area. The standards are small and stand at an angle of 45°. The style arms are cream and the crests purple edged yellow. The stems are well branched and carry the flowers to a height of 26 inches. Like pseudacorus the rhizomes are hard and red fleshed. The roots are strong and the plant appears happy in a damp spot. It seems to be an excellent grower and very free flowering. Dr Ellis reports that the pollen is sterile but the seed pods persist on the flower stems and there appear to be a few seeds although we do not expect that they are viable. The seed pod is triangular, dark green and not unlike that of I. pseudacorus.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, Summer 1978, Number 230.
At the Species Level ; Those Wide-Cross Hybrids-Hooray!
In scanning lists of wide crosses and presumed hybrids raised in the past, a species that frequently appears is I. pseudacorus. Although we have no proof that some of the old reports were of authentic hybrids (and plants are no longer around for chromosome study), there can be little doubt now that this species is an important tool to future apogon iris breeding. In Japan, after generations of attempts, have been produced yellow Hana-shobu hybrids yellow Japanese irises-while in Britain the brown water-flag HOLDEN CLOUGH is thought to have been sired by I. pseudacorus on I. chrysographes (one of the Himalayan Sibiricae).

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1978,The Hugh Miller Trophy
This trophy restricted to non-bearded irises, was awarded in 1978 to the inter-species hybrid 'Holden Clough' selected and Registered in 1971 by the late Donald Patton. The flowers are yellow, marked purple, giving a brownish effect. It was found in a nursery in a row of seedlings from I.chrysographes and the pollen parent is believed to be I. pseudacorus. It was given an A.M. by the Joint Iris Committee in 1973, and the A.G.C.by the B.I.S. in 1976.

 Bulletin of the American Iris Society, Fall 1978, Number 231.
A Shiny Yellow Seed on 'Holden Clough', Roy Davidson, Washington.
In my work with iris species I have followed not only the species themselves as new and better forms were found and introduced, but also the hybrids, those not conforming to anyone species, no matter where they originated. Thus I was most intrigued with the idea of a brown water iris when I read in the British Iris Society YEAR BOOK 1971 of Mr. Patton's finding it in a nursery row of supposed Iris chrysographes. Later it was proposed that somehow pollen of I. pseudacorus had been responsible for those aberrant plants in the row. Dr. Ellis made a chromosome Count, reported that the chromosome component would allow that premise, and it went on the record that the plants were hybrids of I. chrysographes and pseudacorus. There were, however, some discrepancies to that theory. For example, how could two such thin-leaved, deciduous species have
given rise to a hybrid having firm, rigid leaves that would stand up to considerable freezing?
Melrose Gardens had imported this hybrid HOLDEN CLOUGH into California, and a piece was planted in my Washington state garden in autumn of 1976; most surprisingly it flowered the following spring, although in my absence. The stalk was there, however, on my return, and it stood up firmly through the winter in a manner that no I. pseudacorus nor any other water-loving species can maintain.
It has been Ben Hager's idea that somehow I. virginica was possibly responsible for HOLDEN CLOUGH, mainly as an explanation of the firmly evergreen foliage. However, the stalk of that species is among the softest of all, often collapsing in a mush before the capsules are open.
This last iris season saw another stalk on my HOLDEN CLOUGH plant which by then had increased to three. The stalk reached twenty-eight inches high, and a total of ten flowers were given in a long season of bloom, the flowers held just above the foliage which had elongated to thirty inches. In full sun the leaves had a good rich green color, further enhanced by a nice polish to the surface.
Just across the path from HOLDEN CLOUGH grows a well established clump of I. foetidissima which was on the property when I came. I was struck by the similarity of the two plants, and although I did not have flowers simultaneously for comparison they seem, in memory, to have been decidedly alike except for color. In the process of comparing the two I had cut the stalk of HOLDEN CLOUGH, and a few days later Phil Edinger discovered that one of the shrivelling pods had an unmistakably hard, round seed in it. Right away the stalk was put into a bottle of water, where it stood for a week. Finally the strain of waiting became too great (and it was evident anyway that the entire stalk was beginning to dry up) so the seed was removed.
In two ways it was a very curious seed. First, it had a distinctly shiny yellow seed coat, and that had been hoped for since it would give almost certain evidence that HOLDEN CLOUGH had been a chance development from I. foetidissima. A pod of I. foetidissima, opened for comparison, revealed that at the same approximate stage of development its seeds were about the same appearance and color, though they would redden up later. The second odd detail of this seed was its shape: rather than round and bead like, it was sort of bi-lobed, almost as though two ovules had become fused (or had not become fully separated? Ed.). This seed is of course planted, and with high hopes; except for shape it was quite plump and normal appearing. What can we hope for, beyond germination and growth? Should it in time produce flowers, will they reveal the answer to the parent's ancestry? The label in the pot reads simply HOLDEN CLOUGH F 2" • • • Editor's note: The chromosome count of HOLDEN CLOUGH made by Dr. Ellis established the possibility that the parents could have been 40-chromosome I. chrysographes and 34-chromosome I. pseudacorus. Interestingly, 40 chromosomes also is the count for I foetidissima.

Melrose Gardens, Stockton, California. The Connoisseurs Catalog 1981
Water Iris.
HOLDEN CLOUGH Unusual hybrid between iris pseudacorus X ?. Rampant, evergreen plants produce tall, branched stems and smallish flowers gold ground veined brown maroon...........................................$4.00

Tempo Two, Pearcedale, Victoria, Australia. Iris, Daylilies, Hosta Catalogue  1994-1995
Iris Species suitable for water or boggy conditions.
IRIS HOLDEN CLOUGH (Patton UK) L 26"
Chrysographes hybrid, maybe I. pseudacorus X ? Flower are an intriguing brown with deeper veining. Not showy but of interest for floral art and will grow in water conditions as well as normal beds..................................... $6.00

IRISES, A Gardener's Encyclopedia, Claire Austin.
HOLDEN CLOUGH D. Patton, , R. 1971. Change of classification and description to: Wide apogon hybrid of unknown origin and totally unlike I. chrysographes with which it was found growing. Resembles both I. pseudacorus and I. foetidissima and in many respects seems intermediate between the two. Evergreen foliage in warmer climates. Occasionally sets seed with colored flesh outer seedcoat. Flesh of rhizome is pinkish as in I. pseudacorus. Chromosome count 2n=37 made by Ellis; Previous checklist entry below.

The Garden, June 2013. Roy Lancaster visits... Holden Clough Nursery.
'Named after the nursery'.
A plant in cultivation that originated from this nursery in the days of Richard Milne-Redhead is Iris Holden Clough which has been considered by some to be a curious form of the British  native flag ( I.pseudacorus) differing in the purplish brown heavy veining of its yellow flowers. To my eye at least, this gives them a somewhat muddy appearance from a distance. John's (Foley) description of it as a 'Marmite plant' (you either love it or hate it) is most apt. It is definitely a plant for collectors with its curious flowers and winter green leaves. It is also versatile in its growing requirements coping with both moist and average garden soils.

AIS Checklist 1979
HOLDEN CLOUGH    (D. Patton, R. 1971).  Chrysographes hybrid 26" (66 cm) L.     Yellow, veined purple, giving a rich brown appearance; form resembles I. pseudacorus. I. chrysographes X I. pseudacorus., S. Linnegar 1971.

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 ©.