It only gets mixed up in our mind Bonnie, if we choose to let it. We can also choose to not make the connections as well.

Those of us with an interest in genealogy might want to consider honoring our ancestors with an iris.
To have a beautiful iris named after you is definitely an honor.

(must look to see if there's a "William the Conqueror". I never know whether to put him in the
good or bad column of my ancestry!)

Well, I still don't want an iris named hitler. It may have been a good thing at the time but not now.

I'm with you on that, Bonnie. I'm one of those weird people who likes to talk to my plants.
Sometimes I call them by name!

Arlyn - Mussolini? aargh...an iris that ends up being hung by its roots?
I know, Tom...I have too active an imagination!

So does Mussolini try to rule the rest of the garden Arlyn?

I'm not a hybridizer, but definitely want to try my hand at it this year.

I already have a name picked out if I'm ever successful. There was a gardener in our valley, long passed now,
who inspired many with her love of plants.

Great, Jan! I want to see what you can do with irises. LOL

janwax said:I'm not a hybridizer, but definitely want to try my hand at it this year.

I already have a name picked out if I'm ever successful. There was a gardener in our valley, long passed now,
who inspired many with her love of plants.

There are some restrictions around naming irises after people. Depending on the circumstances, you might need permission from them, or their estate if they are deceased. I'm not sure exactly what the rules are, but it's something to be aware of.

No one has ever registered an iris named Hitler, but Schreiner's did introduce one just a few years ago named 'Fatherland'. Perhaps not the ideal name for an iris. . I haven't, and won't, buy it. But it's not because of the name. The flower itself didn't seem al that special and the parentage didn't generate any interest (I already have plenty of nice irises with Romantic Evening and Brazilian Holiday in their background). Those are the only two things I really pay attention to when buying irises.

Permission(s) is/are needed with Daylilies. I registered one in memory and had to get permission from the man's family (which I did), but AHS didn't require me to submit written proof. Be interested to find out what the process calls for with Irises.

Bonnie, all the "Hitler" irises ended up in the compost pile! or was it the incinerator???

No, Leslie, in fact he's very well behaved ! fairly disease free, strong stalks, and pretty good branching, for an "older "iris. Increase is what I would call 'moderate":

I've enjoyed this threat ... thanks folks! I'm a little fussy about names, as some here. I suppose because I am of the belief that names were linked with creating, or given by say the Hebrews or Indians to reflect something about the person or thing. In fact, in purchasing any further Iris or daylilies, I consider the name.

I'm finding considering the names a fun activity while it's too cold to be outside! Since I shop for color and garden traits, I don't worry much about keeping up with the names. So I guess it's a good thing that if I find a name offensive, I'm probably going to forget it anyway, LOL.

Kent - thank you for the info on getting permission to use the name of a living person or from their estate. - for a new iris.

Chances are, I may not have any luck at all with hybridizing - I'm such an amateur - but if I do, I'll remember that.

I like, for instance, that Beverly Sills was honored with her own iris. Such a splendid opera singer. The iris would be marvelous
in its own right, but having her name on it makes it even more special.

I waited until this year to buy Tintinnabulation because the name was just to long.
Barbara

I enjoy seeing a glimpse of the hybridizer's personality in looking through the names they've chosen. The thread on Paul Black intros had me looking at his creations in the data base, and it appears Paul is a Cher fan with 3 I've found so far bearing her name, Cher and Cher Alike, My Cher, and My Cher of Happiness.

I had also gathered Tom Johnson is a Madonna fan, after seeing Material Girl, Ray of Light, and Strike a Pose.

The Cher that he is honoring is his long haired dachshund. Of course she honored the 'real' Cher.

I'm not sure if this is where I should post this, but I just ran across
a very interesting, long article, on Hybridizing Bearded Iris. (Some long winter
nights' reading for me!)

http://www.winterberryirises.c...