Hi! I bought this iris a couple years ago as Solar FIre but the flowers don't seem to match with the pictures on NGA.

Bloomed in 2015


Bloomed in 2016

Hi Karen and

It does not look like Solar Fire to me.

I don't think so either.
Edit: And welcome too.

Maybe something with a broken pattern.

Thank you all! Would you happen to know what it maybe? I have been suspicious about it but I thought I would give it a couple years to get established. But it seems to bloom differently every year.

Hi, Karen! {{waving}}

Hi, Debra! Glad to see you here too. smily:

Karen, if you remind me next year and if my Solar Fire increases enough I can send you the real one in 2017.

iciris said:I don't think so either.

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Solar Fire')
• Uploaded by Zencat

Edit: And welcome too.

That is so beautiful! I love the contrast between the deep colors of gold and reddish brown.

Wow, thanks for your generous offer, iciris. That would be really awesome. I would gladly do a trade for it or for postage, whichever you prefer.

Just remind me next year. I did put your name in my NGA database to help me remind myself.

Welcome Karen!
Many pictures of Solar Fire at: http://wiki.irises.org/bin/vie... and all look correct at first glance, at least as well as one can tell with only pictures.
Nice colors in that one, truly a "solar fire" appearance.

It does seem to look very similar to the fifth one on the first row, left to right. I wonder if it is a soil/regional issue that it is not blooming as deeply as the ones shown on NGA and the others on the wiki website. It has nice striping during its first year of bloom but the colors are definitely not intense. Can there be two types of Solar Fire Iris out there?

Even with all the variances of color, one thing in common is the standards are yellow and the falls are red. In your second photo I do not see any yellow in your standards. The tiger striping on the shoulders of the falls is more pronounced in your flower too. Not to mention that Solar Fire is a space age iris and it appears yours is not.

So what could yours be? I have no idea! I have a hillside of irises that no I.D., or what we call them, NoID's.

You are right UndertheSun. My iris definitely does not have the horns that space age iris exhibit.

Check out Infernal Fire. It is constantly changing. http://wiki.irises.org/bin/vie...


I will need to check your pics against my bloom pics at home, but it is a possibility.

I wish Infernal Fire looked this every time.
http://wiki.irises.org/bin/vie...

Hi Karen! Any friend of Deb's is a friend of ours!!

Rob - mine tended to look like that one most of the time, but there was variation from bloom to bloom. It is a very good grower so I look forward to seeing what next spring's blooms will do.

Thanks UndertheSun. I will keep an eye on it next year to see if any blooms match the one in your link. I wish those in the past look like the one in your link but sadly their colors were all washed out. Granted it is currently planted in a less than ideal location (rather dry and poor soil) and perhaps maybe in need of fertilizing. Do you think if fertilizer helps to deepen dark colors?

Muddymitts said:Hi Karen! Any friend of Deb's is a friend of ours!!

Thanks Mary Ann. Everyone on the Iris forum has been very sweet and very nice. Thank you all for the welcomes!