Hi Dirt, lovely photos of a charming Iris. I'm specializing in crested Iris forms and cultivars, hybridizing them too, ordered 2 plants of 'Abbey's Violet' a few years ago from Edelweiss Perennials, got a blue one that looks similar to many other blues, and an alba form mixed in? Checking out the American Iris Society entry for this cultivar, suggests that it's poorly described, no verifiable photos, and stating
"This cristata has been widely distributed but never properly registered".
http://wiki.irises.org/Spec/Sp...
I'll have to find the reference in the American Rock Garden Society bulletins, unfortunately my collection of ARGS/NARGS back issues (going back to late 1960s) is currently off limits to me while separated from my wife. Reaching out to Rick Rodick
@leftwood, if you have access to ARGS/NARGS bulletin Index, can you see if you can find an entry for Iris cristata 'Abbey's Violet', the Iris society page makes a reference to LeRoy Davidson in 1982. LOL, I moved to Seattle WA area in 1982-86 and lived 1 mile from LeRoy (Roy) and would drive him to the Seattle ARGS meetings, Iris cristata wasn't on my radar at the time. I looked at NARGS web site, I seem to recall there was an online index to the bulletins, but can't find it now.
I'm not sure if anyone today can knowingly verify they have the true cultivar. I will contact Jan Sacks too, to see what she knows about it, she has an extensive collection of Iris cristata forms.
