Does anyone know the name of this tall bearded iris? Clearly an historic - it is an early mid season bloomer, not particularly tall (30" approx); flowers are smallish, has multiple blooms and a long flowering period due to the multiple blooms. I have had this one for many years, and though not the prettiest flower, I keep it for it's multiple flower displays every year.

Moved to Iris Forum

Don't know the name, but it sure is pretty.

It's lovely! And a very good picture too. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to historics, but I know there are people here who might have some ideas about what it could be. Good luck!

Edited to add: Great images you added to the database!

Had a quick look in the database:

Golden Stairs (Fred Crandall 1957)


Happy Days (Sydney B. Mitchell 1934)

Maybe @crowrita1 and @henhouse would have some ideas.

Hello LynDC,

Could it be Argosy? Are the beards on your irises as orange as Argosy?
http://historiciris.blogspot.c...

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions. 'Golden Stairs' (thx IrisLilli) is not in NZ to my knowledge; 'Happy Days' is, but falls not copper enough. Jean Steven's 'Argosy' (thx Totally_Amazing) was a strong consideration but again not copper enough on the falls. Argosy is very similar but all photos I have seen show copper flecks rather than all over copper on falls. Have spoken to other 'Argosy' growers who also say no. Am still open to other suggestions - would dearly love to able to give this little iris a name all...

I still haven't found one with that much copper on the falls - but it should make it easier to get a positive ID - if you ever find a similar one!

Thanks Lilli. Ones I have looked at are;

Russet Wings, Wills 1945 (MLa) - quite similar. Mine is early flowering
Argosy, Jean Stevens (M) - bronze flecks on falls, beards darker;
Capri, Schreiner 1935 (M-L); Capri is also very like mine - but is mid-late flowering; standards reported as clear warm yellow, beards more orange than mine which are yellow.
Glenn-Ellen, Connell-Williams 1939 (M); similar - beards appear a little darker
Naranja, Mitchell 1935 (MLa); similar again - though Naranja's form tends to vary. My little yellow/bronze has perfect form with every bloom.
Halloween Night, Howard Weed 1943 (L). Also similar but late flowering.
Sunol, Mohr Mitchell 1955 (M); is a strong possibility. Reported to have candelabrum type branching that carries 8-9 flowers - which sounds very like mine. Multiple blooms would give long flowering season as mine has.

The closest I can come to it is 'Alta California' (M) or Sunol. Some photos of Alta California look very like mine, but other photos do not show the all over bronze. My little unknown has clear lemon standards, whereas the closest description of Alta California states clear yellow standards. Alta California is Mid flowering, mine is Early flowering.

I have decided that I need to do a bud count on mine when it flowers again this year (see if matches Sunol) - then try and find bud count on others as well for comparison. Because there are so few historics around - it make the identification just that more difficult - being unable to see them in the 'flesh' to see if they might match.

Have only been trying to identify this little beauty for 9-10 years. LOL

I'm not sure it's Glen Ellen.. It doesn't look as heavily striped as your picture... but it is on the shorter side..


I have this yellow, that I was thinking may be "Alta California', but the person I got it from doesn't think so.. The color in my pictures varies with the light and time of day they were taken.


"Happy Days' has a larger flower.. here's a picture I took of a falls from the one I think may be 'Alta California' and 'Happy Days' on the left.


I haven't seen 'Argosy' in person, but it looks like you may on the right track... I'll be interested to see what Arlyn or Lori thinks..

Thanks Sherry, The falls on my flower are closer to the falls from your Happy Days. We do have Happy Days here in NZ. The coppery color of falls is more pronounced on my flower than on Happy Days. Could I take a minute to thank everyone who has replied to this thread? It has induced me to look a lot closer at the flower, to identify small differences that I may not have previously noted. I also need to correct flowering time to Early Mid Season; going by the two (only 2) photographs I have kept of this flower. One minute detail I have noticed , which I had never really noticed before is that there is no real veining on falls - the falls are entirely smooth with no apparent veining.

The plant is due to flower again in 2 months, so it will be coming under close examination this year. Specifically will be looking at branching, bud count, style color!

Photo below is the only other one I have of the flower at the moment. Had not posted it before as lighting is quite different, not showing flower in its actual colors. I nearly discarded the plant some years ago and then it surprised me by putting on an amazingly spectacular multi flowered show over the full flowering season - which literally saved its life! It is not a spectacular flower - rather small and unobtrusive but on a good season can make quite a statement and it has been kept for this reason!!!

Ooops! I have my left crossed with my right (again!) Sherry. My mistake - the fall pictured on the right (that you though might be Alta California) - is more like mine - just like mine I think! The beard attached to your coppery fall on the right also has the long thin sparse lemon beard that mine has! I have also wondered if mine could be Alta California....

The Historic Iris Preservation Society site may help: http://www.historiciris.org/

From your description.....smallish flowers, and not particularly tall.....doesn't sound like Alta California

crowrita1. That is very good to know. The size of flowers is rarely recorded which makes things more difficult in identifying a flower - so thats' where other grower's insights are so valuable!

Have a look at the Sturtevant's irises.