Liz!!

Your NoId reminded me of

Liz! Glad you joined in the fun of our forum!

I was thinking 'Alcazar' too..

Glad you came out of the woodwork and are joining us Liz!

Thanks, everyone! Love the forums on Garden.org, everyone is so friendly and helpful!
I'm really trying to learn about iris, partly to figure out exactly what I like and partly to try to id NOIDs already in my garden. So other than matching pictures what aspects of iris do you consider when determining?

Bloom time, height, beard color, if the foliage is purple-based...more experienced folk will chime in, but I think those are some of the basics.

Does anyone know if 'Alcazar' has a heavenly fragrance? (Sweet & sugary) My gardener friend has one that looks like that from his grandmother, and its fragrance is strong.

Ruffles, horns, flounces, tailored...

My NOID is scented, kinda like root beer.

Never did the nose test on my Alcazar and my iris are all done for this year.

LizinElizabeth said:My NOID is scented, kinda like root beer.

That sounds like Alcazar , to me ! Somewhere...on one of the forums, there was a listing of "iris scents", (maybe some one can remember where!), and the older AIS checklists (not sure about the newer ones ) noted if an iris had a "scent", and listed what it "smelled like". The '39 checklist notes Alcazar "is scented", but not what it smells like.

So is Alcazar an early bloomer? I don't have many irises that aren't tall bearded, have Baby Blessed that is a standard dwarf that started blooming May 11th--the first in my garden. The NOID that might be Alcazar bloomed on May 28th along with the NOID white bearded iris. Today I have yet another NOID. It's a much smaller bloom, sweet scent but not distinctive.

Champagne Elegance

Morning Face


I need to dedicate several hours to catching up on this forum--you all are getting the pictures out hot and heavy! Love all of the beautiful flowers!

The registration shows it's a Mid-late and that can vary depending on where one lives I would think.

A belated welcome Liz!

I'm late to the party too! Welcome Liz!

You asked about what to look for when comparing irises. The others have mentioned all the initial items to check. Then you start looking at the details in the photos like the color and style of the style arms, the colors on the ribs of the standards, the haft marks near to top of the falls, the layers of color on the beards (and the length and shape), the length and shape of the falls,....etc.

You can tell a lot from a good picture but you have to remember that not all irises have been registered, of the registered irises the database has a limited number with photos (especially when it comes to the older varieties), and there are variations due to climate, soil, lighting, etc.

So the only way to be really sure of an identification is to narrow down the possibilities then get rhizomes of the top one or two from a reputable source and grow them next to your Noid iris. Then you can compare bloom time, height, color, etc. You can actually tear the pieces of the blossoms apart and compare them side by side. Others have shown pictures of this process but I don't have any photos to share.

In the meantime take a look at the photos people are posting in the database. If you want the best chance to ID your irises be sure to get down to the level of the flower and get a picture of all the details in the center of the flower. That will make it much easier for us to try to help you!

Glad you decided to join in!! You will find the people here to be kind, knowledgeable, helpful, funny, and great enablers!!!

Very well said Marilyn!

Thanks to Joshua and Nora for the acorn tips! That was very kind of you!