Jo Ann it is a beautiful tree and I wish I could get one to live and thrive here they just don't do well for us, I do have a few that are growing and they are the ones I expected to be the least hardy but they have made it so I have had some success with them but most don't wake up in the spring. I would try another one of the Seriyu but the few nurseries that sell specialized trees like that locally will not guarantee them through the winter.

Polly I was shocked to find that picture especially here on ATP I clicked on it expecting to see the Iris field and there I was in the corner I remember there was a lot of people out that day walking,and when I pulled into Mid America there were people everywhere but no one in the Iris, I remember thinking either Hostas are really popular in Salem or they must be having a great sale this weekend It wasn't until I read Connie's thread I realized what was going on that day.It was great having those fields to myself for a few hours. My Wish list just kept growing and gowing.

What a hoot.

These are the pictures from that day in there field, I went looking for Seedlings and there's were Outstanding !! I was hoping to find one or two new seedlings with a different pattern or color and there was just too many to count, they have really come up with some beautiful colors and way different patterns.I had a hard time picking a favorite from all of them, we will have some beautiful new color combo's from those guys for a lot of years to come. Hopefully some of these grow well enough to make the cut and get introduced one day. I think a lot of these were first year blooms or relatively new so Who knows but what Fun to be able to work with these

.

Ohhhh gawd I am so dead for next summers offerings.

Jo Ann that is really funny I don't think you will see these quite that soon most of them were pretty new but in the coming years,I will be in trouble with you. You see why I had such a hard time picking a favorite they were all nice.

I didnt realize how many different colors came in one bloom.Iris rule.

I have LaScala just planted this year and was looking for a companion.The best choice is a warm orange so I looked at MidAmerica.I must have 20 choices.
There is verbascum in there also and a red poppy.
Here is the combo
top:verbascum,A Star is Born
bottom:La Scala,Flame Amber

Jo Ann I really like Flame Amber beautiful colors in it but so far it has been a slow grower for me,I got it to bloom last year but no increase it was a really good color combo so I am trying it again, if you are looking for a couple lighter Oranges from Mid America these were 2 that I liked a lot.

Totally Tropical & Original Cast

I really like the forth one down on the right side, such new colors. Has a lot of the features of Carnival Capers, but in different colors. I'll be watching for that one for sure.

Tom I like that one alot also I think they are getting closer and closer to coming up with a red one.I also loved the first one on the left the beards really jumped out on it for it to be a MTB. I would love to grow any of them.

I have enjoyed this thread. So many beauties.

Reds are really unexpected.Mine are close but no fire engine reds.I have Samurai Warrior and yet to bloom here Fortunate Son, which hasnt bloomed for me.I has just a hint of blue

File pix of Sam.Warrior


File pix of Fortunate Son sorry its hardly red at all.

What is it they say, the person that hybridizes a truly red iris will be a millionaire? So it must be a very recessive gene.

yes red is a very recessive gene Polly, that is why when Rick Ernst and USO were working together the red was gene slicing from a red geranium.

D

we are getting closer all the time, but the red they want is like Christmas red or Fire Engine Red/

Whoever does get a true red and it does not sport should patent it, then any crosses from it would have to pay patent rights.

O M G.I had no idea,always good info here.

There you go, Polly & Dee, a mission! Breed that red iris! And Jo Ann can be the "judge". I would offer to judge it, but I tend to view most things with "rose colored glasses"!....Arlyn

Heck, I'm lucky if I could breed a purple one, Arlyn.

They had to work for many years to get a "true"pink. So I'm sure that a true red is a long way off! "Brick" red may be as close as we'll ever see, without that "gene splicing" thing....Arlyn

Dee or Lucy.....if a gene is "very recessive" it must be there but hasn't expressed itself yet. Is it possible that there is not a red gene hiding somewhere and red could only come through a mutation? I'm certain this isn't new but the late Melba Hamblen used to say that if she bred a true red iris with one bud that she would introduce it.

Arlyn ! Sad to say Rose is composed of some blue.The glasses wouldnt do you any good.

I remember the article that Rick Ernst wrote in one of the iris journals where he said they isolated the red gene and were successful in getting it into the iris tissue, but the resulting "red" iris wasn't really red either. So they figured there were other genes/factors affecting the color and I thought they gave up at that point. Does anyone have any further information?