Yes, Pam, yours look like the real deal. Looking forward to digging and trading on July 4th!

Richard, just get it. But get it direct from the hybridizer, Schreiner's, so that you are getting the real thing. Then you'll know why it's #1. Photos just don't do it justice.

Pam, great clump of Dusky Challenger. Thanks for sharing your photo. That little corner looks like a yummy place for you to lay out a blanket and have a picnic. Just heaven.

I definitely need a true, dark purple tall bearded iris.
ShawnSteve,
In order to have a purple TB iris bloom with my peonies, it would have to be really late. In my garden most tall beardeds are past their prime when the peonies bloom. My peonies are blooming along with the Siberian iris.

Are there any really late dark purples That would be recommended?

Valerie, I would simply suggest, looking at Schreiner's website, for example. Using the left side bar, to select the color, & checking border bearded, or tall bearded & then selecting a "late" blooming variety...
The thing about it, is, that what may bloom early, for me, down here, may bloom, not only much later on, up there & sometimes it's just best, to simply drive around & see what is in flower locally, to try & find out, what flowers, there, when you want to pair it up, with something else, in your climate & do so, while it's in flower !.
I used to look in catalogues, long ago & they'd "state" a given flowering period & it wasn't anything at all, nearly when they'd actually bloom, for me !
Because, my "seasons', are often, more like, between San Francisco & L.A., but located on the East coast.. (Between "Hampton Roads' & the Chesapeake Bay waters, (near Buckroe Beach.) You may look it up online, in Google, if you haven't an Atlas, or a map, using Google earth. I'm nearly in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, on a "Peninsula'.

Not really, all that far away, from, the old "Fort Monroe" either, which is rather historic & may now be either a"State" or ('National ?) Park. It's just "there" & I don't pay much mind, to all the "news", after they'd tried to figure out what to do with it ! lol

Dusky Challenger is listed as blooming Mid to Late. I did a search for a purple iris that bloomed late, one historic showed up. Then I did a search for both purple and then black late, no results, then went to black ML No results, then I went to black M still no results, and I know for a fact that Before the Storm is listed as black Mid. The only things I entered was Iris, Black Late. Of course when nothing shows up the computer tells you that maybe you have too many options selected. Guess the search engine is on break.

Valerie, perhaps, then you'd quite possibly have to go with a Japanese Iris, or Siberian ? As, all I could find at Vesey's in Canada, is 'About Town' & that the season is listed, as early to mid season.. But.please do keep in mind, this is Richard's Thread, (about 'Dusky Challenger' in particular..) Not that I haven't ever posted on threads & have been known to "Ramble On' ! lol Check 'Ensata Gardens' website.

touchofsky said:I definitely need a true, dark purple tall bearded iris.

Are there any really late dark purples That would be recommended?

The Irises Database shows dozens of purple/black TBs that bloom Late or Very Late. A few examples:















In my garden, any of those would overlap the peony bloom.

Shawn, I don't think of this as 'my thread'. I started it because I found it unusual that an iris from awhile ago keeps getting top votes. But Tom nailed it, it's about name recognition, popularity just like politics. Dusky Challenger is a beautiful iris, and had I bought it years ago I would be soooo attached to it. But I bought Paul Black as my deep saturated purple self and love it for multiple reasons including the fact the orange beards match up with the crazy orange sneakers my neighbor across the street wore in his final year of life. I put my iris display up for him to enjoy in his final moments from cancer and he sadly passed away on Thanksgiving Day morning so he never saw it bloom. And the following year, our first boy dog passed away on Thanksgiving Day morning, so this iris collection stirs up a lot of memories. Interestingly, Coral Passion keeps blooming out of season, so there is one out of 28 pots with an iris bloom during Thanksgiving. I'd like to think that maybe there's a higher authority causing that?

Oh, I'm so sorry Richard.. I've been distracted, from the moment I awoke !
First, the Gold finch birds birds were very busy eating my flower seeds, to finding a completely "empty coffee canister", that was with the completely full, new one's I'd just bought, & a baggy of plants missing that were in a grocery bag, & alpine seeds germinating in the fridge, while I need to pot them up,, to trying to call the bank, to confirm my Bank balance, after having made numerous Iris orders online... & still need to make more phone calls, too
Plus, already having stopped at two stores, & while trying to locate an Iris for Valerie online, to go with your flowers..
Not raining enough yesterday, & the soil is too dry to dig, yet it's a beautiful day to get started, but the soil is so bone dry & I'd really need a pick axe, to start on a bed, for all those Iris, I ordered - due really soon ! Just a little hectic, to say the leasts & I'm over tired, as house mate was ill, all over my throw rugs, in the bathroom.. It's endless..(For Valerie) Like a bunch of children, except we're all between ages of 55 & 75... so it's as if a bunch of messy little "man- boys," around here ! Now, you get the picture ?
I'm quite sure you've met at least one, in your lifetime, to know, about it all...lol

Sorry about that Richard. I'm trying to multitasks, so many multiple thing & it seems so overwhelming, as my bank statement had never arrived & glanced up & thought that was Valerie's post, above mine. That's how tired I am.
I have to get things done, prior to even going to the Dentist , tomorrow, also.. Now, that I'm worn out, everybody else, will be "wide awake" if I even try to get some rest !
I'm really very sorry for all your loss.. I believe, that some things happen, just as they do & we have no control over them.
I had a an older friend & I'd often ask, (he managed a yachting marina , store, gas pumps & boat storage.., plus answered the phone & a private office..) "Why does these things always seem to only just happen to me ? He answered, "You've just passed , the "test" & it took me awhile, but eventually, it 'dawned on me" & I came to eventually understand, just what it meant.
I'm sure there are signs, you've noticed & it's just to let you know & can be rather reassuring, when those things do tend to happen....& now, I suddenly don't feel so rushed, any more !

Valeri, I have photos of Dusky Challenger blooming along with my White Cap or Krinkled White peonies. So it sounds like your particular peonies are really late bloomers! Those are the two peonies blooming in the below photo:
In the first, you can see the peonies at the far end:


This second shot is taken from the far end, with the irises further away:


At any rate, in these photos, the irises are Beverly Sills, Silverado, and my original Dusky Challenger, all blooming at the same time as the White Cap, and Krinkled White Peonies. Those two peonies, by the way, are APS Gold medal winners, as well as winners of the Award of Landscaping Merit, as I recall. These peonies are now over 30 years old, and Irises have come and gone and been replanted with other things. But these peonies never fail to put on quite a show.

I think that those three irises are later blooming than some. But peonies, too come in a span of boom times. For example Red Charm peony always seemed to start and finish blooming before my TB irises ever got started.

Richard, what I just don't happen to believe, is that a "name factor' is involved in it, nor politics,either... I think that 'Dusky Challenger' stand on its' own Merit, & has been so popular for so many years, as it it really isn't just "any old ,ordinary" Iris. I do tend to think, it was worthy, of all the recognition it received, for being exactly what it is, an outstanding example, of what a classical looking, well performing & much loved Iris, by so many, that have continued to vote for it, in spite of it's age.
I don't tend to think, politics is involved, in the 'voting procedure" for Iris & isn't anything nearly like voting for political office & especially not in an organization, about Iris lovers, opinions.
As for "name recognition', do you really think it is all about a Space Shuttle, or the hybridizers, "name recognition"? Rather, I tend to think, it is due to 'Dusky Challenger' being recognized on it's own merits & being recognized as a very garden worthy Iris, to stand on it's own. It's an "all time favorite" & voted, for , because of simply, that !

Politics & name recognition aside..For instance, I don't particularly care for the cultivar name "Thorn Bird', & happen to think people voted for it, because they liked it & not because of its' name, or any politics, either. But, it gets many votes & stayed near the top, too.. To me, it is similar to Royal Horticultural Society ( RHS) & a particular plant cultivar, or species, being honored, with Award of Garden Merit, as is done, in the U.K.

Shawn,
I think Tom and my point are being misunderstood. It's not that the name is 'so cool', but rather a sub-conscious factor in humans that we feel comfortable and 'vote' for what we know, and see on a regular basis. There's a lot to be said for celebrity status.when voting occurs, I think Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Franken, and our current commander in chief are good examples as such. And please, I'm not trying to take this thread into a political discussion, rather citing politics as a vehicle to prove Tom's point. I agree with that, DC is owned a lot, has name recognition and stands the test of time as a great iris. And for what it's worth, Thornbird too, and that hybrid I do proudly own and love, and find amusing a number of folks I've read think it's down right ugly. Not me!
R

I just happen to disagree, with either "celebrity status" or "subconscious' factors, playing much role, in voting for a plant, yes a flowering plant, mind you, being compared in such a manner, as to base it's long standing position, on name recognition, familiarity , celebrity status, or politicians, which are all humans, or their attributes, for that matter..

It is a well appreciated Iris & favored by many. Plain & simple & has been, for a rather long period of time. Are there other Iris out there, I'd vote for, instead ?
You can bet, on that. None of my orders, include D.C. ! As I actually, enjoyed 'Titan's Glory' probably more so.., too, back in the day..
But, now I just so happen to like, some of the newer cultivars...

Apart from growing species, from seeds ,that I happen to like also, & apparently have been popular, for thousands of years.. & often used in creating aril-bred hybrids, but I'm not really interested in them for that. Just like I grew many cacti of Mexican origins (greenhouse grown ,also, & I grew from seed, too ) for about 20 years...

If it were to be compared with, say a Rose, for instance & a Hybrid Tea, for example, it most likely would have been 'Peace' ! But, that dates back to about WWII. Now days, many people prefer to buy English David Austin roses, or go directly back, to "antique", or old garden roses.
I much prefer, more recent Iris for their , spectacular colors, ruffles, dots, lines, etc...

But even today, Japanese morning glories are still appreciated, though some of those are actually, really quite old. I just "don't get it" about the politics & name recognition, etc..when it comes to plants, & trying to only compare that, with Iris, as it doesn't seem to have ever happened, in any other plant Forums, that I can ever recall....
Perhaps, maybe you would be so kind enough, as find, maybe one or two, similar plant comparisons to people & possibly point it out ?

touchofsky said:I definitely need a true, dark purple tall bearded iris.
ShawnSteve,
In order to have a purple TB iris bloom with my peonies, it would have to be really late. In my garden most tall beardeds are past their prime when the peonies bloom. My peonies are blooming along with the Siberian iris.

Are there any really late dark purples That would be recommended?

Dark Passion is always one of my last irises to bloom

What I'd like to suggest is not to question or criticize a long-honored cultivar without ever having grown it. Sometimes pictures don't do a justice to the real live thing. DC doesn't cost that much these days. Just get it and see why people like it!

As for name recognition, I think that sellers/marketers place more importance on that than buyers. And never before had I even made a connection between DC's name and the Challenger rockets. For me a name is a name is a name. I don't care what it sounds like. That wil never, ever influence me to buy something. I care only how it looks in my garden. Its color, form, and substance. Those are the things I care about. I couldn't care squat about what name a hybridizer chooses to put on a cultivar, except to mark it as different from others in the iris registry.

I have to make only one exception to that: I think it was a mistake to name an iris "Cow Patty." That's my only exception.

Daisy, thank you for explaining that so well. There are certain things in this life, that the general population, just simply consider to be very appealing & of long duration at that.
I don't think it is exactly some particular feeling of familiarity. I do not buy a plant for it's name, either. Nor would I vote for something, either way, due to simply it's name. Familiar, or not ! Celebrity, or unknown, to me...
Some things are appealing, even some architecture...& it may be quite old, yet still, people may absolutely love it- hundreds, or thousands of years later ! Consider the Pyramids, or Great Wall of China, for examples.. What would you 'vote" for instead, besides 'Dusky Challenger, , that most people voted for & agree,( in majority mind you, )that others consider to be a timeless, nearly Universally appealing Iris, that you think, ought to take it's place ?
Lucy had already brought up the question, of what Iris is your favorite ?
Yes, I grew Dusky Challenger, but probably not now, but with all those newer more complex & interesting cultivars available, now ? I'm trying to "move forwards'... & you try to look to the future & what may be popular today, may be, in 10 ten years, or so.. people will say, oh there's a thousand others almost just like it! That could probably be said about pink Iris, with just subtle variations or a different color beard, or more peach, or a hint of orange,, or, even grey.. I can't even begin to imagine, what they may look like, in 20 years, from now....Quite different, I'd tend to think & possibly even more fantastic, than what I see being sold, now ....By then,I'm sure the list will have changed, greatly .Period.

Thank you for all of the suggestions, everyone. I will look for those from the two suppliers available to me. Lots of beautiful ones!

Ive grown Dusky Challenger since it was first introduced. Yes, i did pay the 35 - 40.00 for it back then - (don't exactly remember the cost). As i've moved from place to place over the years, ive taken a rhizome of it, and it continued in my collections for more that 20 years after it was introduced. It was a consistent performer. Maybe Ray Schreiner didn't know it, but its genetic makeup hit nearly all the marks of a proven great -- hardiness, consistent growth performance in nearly all climactic zones, fairly rapid increase, showstalks, and a reliable winner at the iris shows, somewhat rot resistant, and a rich deep and clean color.
Of course, Schreiners massive distribution network, both mail order and wholesale helped to further distribute this cultivar to vast numbers of people. It was remarked, that Schreiners sent a piece of Dusky Challenger as a bonus with nearly every order that came in, for a number of years after its intro.
I grew hundreds of cultivars even back then, and it was already rivaled and in my opinion
, surpassed by existing purple cultivars that i had in my collection at the time, and has indeed been rivaled and surpassed many times since then. The big "BUT" is, that other worthy purple selfs were intro'd by lesser known hybridizers who didn't have the name recognition, the huge distribution network, or marketing power that Schreiners had. And many of them, sad to say, didn't have that lucky strike gene combination which enabled DC to thrive in most climactic zones where other purples failed.