I have had Sea Cruise for a long time, and it does very well here.

William said:Andrea, those are indeed lovely soft colored beauties.

Sea Cruise, is one that I don't recall seeing before. Strange as it seems to be a well merited iris; Honorable Mention: 2014
Award of Merit: 2017.

I noticed its parentage is Haut les Voiles X 00-258A: (Act Three x Sea Power). I was a bit surprised to see that Keppel used the French iris 'Haut les Voiles' in the cross. Then again 'Haut les Voiles' parents are all American. So this is a travel back and forth the Atlantic.

'Haut les Voiles' is an iris I know well. I grow it and I think you can actually see how similar it is to 'Sea Cruise':

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Haut les Voiles')
• Uploaded by William

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Sea Cruise')
• Uploaded by KentPfeiffer

'Haut les Voiles' is Edith Wolford X Honky Tonk Blues. Yes, I'm going somewhere with this, be patient!

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Edith Wolford')
• Uploaded by Snork

X

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Honky Tonk Blues')
• Uploaded by sunnyvalley

'Edith Wolford' was hybridized by Ben Hager ( http://wiki.irises.org/Main/Bi... ), who did his work in California. So 'Sea Cruise' has some California genes in it and now it performes well in Andrea's Californian garden!


Oh and Andrea, thank you for the acorn.

'Haut les Voiles' has another child, 'Island Breeze' by Tasco.



I saw 'Island Breeze' at Superstition a couple of years ago and really liked it. I planted it last summer, and am looking forward to comparing it to 'Sea Cruise'.

my list:
Fancy Woman - ordered
Friendly Fire - ordered
Gypsy Lord - ordered
Jive - ordered
Montmartre - ordered
Suspicion - ordered
Wintry Sky - ordered
Sea Cruise - have
Crowned Heads - have
Social Event - have