I purchased a number of bearded iris last year from a plant sale that were unmarked. I'm new to ATP and wanted to know is there a place I can post pics for ID help? Or is it okay to post them in this forum?

I'm going to browse through the database as well.

Thank you!

Ann, This is as good a place as any!!

We may be able to help you with suggestions to narrow the field, but to be sure of an I.D. you usually have to buy one of the cultivar you think it is and grow them side by side to compare. It helps if you know approximately when they were originally purchased...but coming from a plant sale you may not have that information. We'll do what we can!

Hi Ann -- welcome to ATP and to the Iris Forum!!

You can post your pictures here, and we will try to help you -- but you need to know up front that identifying Irises from pictures is a very difficult task. There are so many that look alike, and only subtle differences would confirm or deny an identification. Of course, it's those subtle differences that generally don't show up in a picture. What we may be able to do is guide you to possibilities where you could do further research. Ultimately, the only sure way to identify an Iris is to grow the suspected variety right next to your mystery Iris -- and bloom time will tell you if you are right or wrong. But hopefully we'll be able to help you narrow down the possibilities.

The Database is a wondrous source of information!!

Crossed Marilyn!! You gave her good advice!!

Ann.....Enjoy your iris as they bloom and add a few that you are certain are correctly ID'd.

Thanks Marilyn!

I realize I may not get a definitive ID, but that's okay, I'd just like to attach a name to them that's in the ball park. Let's see if I can successfully upload my images first ; ) Sorry the pics aren't the greatest. I appreciate any suggestions you may have-Thanks!

1-This one is solid purple.


2-This one is yellow with a gold beard, and has a strong scent. I want to say lemony.
Please disregard the weeds. I'll do better this year


3-2 views of same one. Purple with white.





4-This one looks so much better in pics than in person, to me. It's more a cinnamony brownish burgundy color than what you see in the pic. The other colors are true to the pic.

Thanks for the Welcomes and advise, Mary Ann & Paul!

Ha! You guys weren't kidding. I'm still on page 1 of the database and there's 3 yellows, 2 with scent. Maybe I should just give them names for my own reference. Is it common for a bearded iris to have scent?

yes, scent is common, I think they all have a scent? Some are spicy, some are sweet, some are described as smelling like grapes or lemons ect. Your iris will probably never be identified with certainty. There are simply hundreds of purples and yellows-too many too similar to differentiate. If you are really needing only named ones, you can give those away (preferably mail them to me!) and then order you some from a reputable farm. Otherwise just enjoy them as noids. (no identification). You can certainly 'name' them yourself just for your own record and enjoyment. Just be sure not to confuse them with any you have that are named and do not ever sell or give them to anyone using your pretend name.

Welcome to ATP!

Thanks FrillyLily!

Being on page 37 of the database, it's clear I'm not going to get id's on the yellow or purples for certain. Maybe the last one. I've seen similar but they had a white band around the fall, so I'll keep looking. I'll have fun thinking of some names. I have other's that didn't bloom their first year, so I'll have plenty to name and it doesn't really bother me that I don't know their real names. A women donated her entire bearded iris collection to a local library plant sale, and I was fortunate enough to get 3 pots of 6 rhizomes each for $3 a pot. There were probably 3 or 4 dozen of pots. I would have loved to have seen her garden.

You are very fortunate Ann!!! You will get years of enjoyment out of them. The beauty is the important part, not the names.

Drop in and visit us anytime. If you have questions the kind and knowledgeable people here are happy to help. I'm relatively new at this...but there are others here that have been growing irises for many decades. They have been very helpful.

Welcome, Ann, and I agree with what everyone else has said--jump on in, there are friendly waters, here.

Unless an iris is very unusal in color or markings it is almost impossible to photo ID as not only for instance a yellow self (all one color) the lighting, the monitor, the time of day, soil PH all have something to do with the pictures now include the camera. These factors all have something to do with trying to ID any iris.

As a judge as a fun test once we had 5 pink iris, all cut the same height had I think 8-10 iris names to pick from and in the group were several well known hybridizers and growers the nearest was 3 ID'd.

D

Frillylily said:yes, scent is common, I think they all have a scent

Fragrance of some sort is pretty common, but no, they don't all have a scent.

Any chance in finding out who donated them? They might be able to help you with an ID.

And welcome!

Ann, here is part of why it is difficult to ID from photographs. These photos are all of the same plant, same location, but different years. Looks like different plants.

good example. iris?

Think it is Copper Classic, Lucy.

Welcome Ann
I will hazard a guess on the first one--Dusky Challenger is close, but of course may not be exact.






Purples are hard for many cameras/monitors to duplicate exactly and come out light at times; these are fairly close.

Enjoy this forum and those irises!

English Knight, a rebloomer, might also come close to the first photo you posted, Ann.

Hi Debra,
Thanks for the photo examples! I totally see what you mean. My pics weren't the greatest to begin with and even if they were, as everyone's stated, id'ing is close to impossible. Which I'm okay with : )

Hi DaveinPA,
And here I thought I was the only one with a creative name. Ha! Thanks for posting the pics of Dusky Challenger. The first pic looks exactly like what I have, but the 2nd pic looks tonal, although maybe that's just the photo. Mine is all the same deep solid purple, which I think looks lighter in my photo than it actually is. I'll check out English Knight. I'm trying to recall if mine is a rebloomer....

Thanks for sharing, All!