caitlinsgarden said:Lets say I have an iris in bloom and I have no idea what it is. I only know that it is large and tall and dark purple/black with white veining (luminata?) How would I search for it?
Polly's correct. The databases here at ATP and at Cubits are among the few that can do the type of search you are asking for. If you go to the Irises Database (
The Irises Database) and click "Search by characteristics", you get to the advanced search page. Then just check off the information that you know and click "Search". If you check off the boxes "Tall Bearded (TB)", "Purple", and "Luminata" you'll get a list of irises that match those criteria. In this case, there are 11 entries that currently match, including Earl of Rhodes.
http://garden.org/plants/group...
There are nearly 50,000 varieties of iris listed in the ATP database, including almost every iris that has been registered between 1950 and today. Many irises registered prior to 1950 are in there too, if they are still being grown by someone. Not all of the entries have all of the information entered yet, not even close. There is currently no picture of 'Earl of Rhodes', for example. But, ATP members add new information and pictures every day (hint). Even considering all the information that still needs to be added, the ATP iris database is probably the most complete searchable database available.
Some growers allow you to search by characteristics, but they mostly just list the varieties they sell. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but it limits their usefulness somewhat. The Iris Encyclopedia (
http://wiki.irises.org/bin/vie...) is a great resource IF you know the name of iris you want information on. If you don't already know the name, you can search on other terms but it's hard and often doesn't give very satisfying results.
