Bonnie, those 2 are amazing! Blue Doll is so tiny and perfect--looks like it should be growing in a fairy garden! And I LOVE the shades on Aaah.

Thank you Bonnie, for your suggestions.
This certainly is your area and I will be looking forward very much to hear what you have to say about your little treasures!

It is particularly interesting to note irises that bloom freely both in a colder zone like Tom's and in warmer areas, so I hope that no one hesitates posting an iris that has already been mentioned. The more the merrier!

OK, I have a moment to start posting here. I think I will start with our own Lucy's little Elfin Shadows. It's such a cute one, and starts blooming a bit later then some and keeps blooming quite late into the TB season. I really love it as it has lots of bloom and long season.



You can see the multi sockets and nice branching here.

Here is another Tommy box iris that loves to bloom, the really cute Cosmos:



It bloomed for quite awhile:

And if you like ruffles, All Ruffled Up just goes to town:

Leslie, your sdb's are thriving!

I'm obsessed with ruffles and All Ruffled Up doesn't disappoint!!

yet another dangerous thread in the iris forum--in terms of inducing me to covet more iris...hatch ambitious winter plans to create more garden space...as if... for all the more iris that I suddenly need

I really do have a thing for the little ones! I don't know what happened there but it bit me for sure

Comparing floriferous-ness, I think it might be important to note that SDBs and MDBs are not at all the same thing in a different size. Much more useful to see the MDBs in a class by themselves, as they are, and see the SBDs with the medians, as they are.

Many of the MDBs, owing to their pumila (and lutescens) heritage are flowering on a lengthened perianth tube, thus branchless with a single terminal flower--so their floriferous-ness is necessarily different. They can have a profusion of multiple 'stems' though...
Another distinction about the MDBs is that they really do have a winter chill requirement in order to bloom well.

The medians, in contrast, will have two or more terminal buds and can have branching stems so they are more classically floriferous and over a longer period of time.

Well defined, Dirt. Because both have the word 'dwarf' in their class name even some vendors put them together. They perform differently and require different growing conditions. Since I live in a warmer area all my MDB's are potted and are moved into shaded areas during the hottest months and to a north facing slope during the colder months. My SDB's are treated like any other median iris.

It is wise to invest in the MDB's that are known to grow and perform well in the are you live in.

Again I'm learning from the experience of this forum's members! I had no idea that SDBs and MDBs have different growing requirements. Other than the cold requirement how do they differ?

Sometimes we grow a plant/flower that seems common because it is so hardy that everyone grows it. I guess the rare ones are sometimes more valued. I am going to list one that may be thought to be so common that it is not special. SDB Cat's Eye



I grow this one in both a south and north facing garden to extend the bloom time. It has a lovely color. This will be one i always grow.

Two more MDB's with ruffles. These two are also hardy.

MDB Tingle


MDB Celtic Pixie

One I got from Bonnie that I really like and grows well is Rainbow Rim.

I was going to post that one too, Tom. So glad it is doing well for you. I dont know why everyone doesn't grow this one. It is hardy, recovers faster after a move than most, increases well and blooms faithfully.

SDB Rainbow Rim


Notice the deeper blue it has in my garden. It would be interesting to see this one growing all over for comparison.

I want that one so badly! It looks gorgeous in both color variations.

i will share, Liz.

I got Rainbow Rim this year - looking forward to seeing how well it does here.

Liz, in my climate MDBs and SDBs get the same care as the rest of my irises, because I have the cold winters the MDBs need in order to bloom and I don't have to give them any special care.

Speaking of MDBs, this is the most prolific one I grow:



MDBs are great irises, but difficult to photograph as they are tiny little things.

That is a beautiful little iris, Lilli. I love the tiny ones.

Here's an sdb that I've been wanting.