Yep, I think Paul and Debra are right: There's probably nothing intrinsically more hardy about irises that were being hybridized and introduced, say, 60 years ago. But there probably *is* something to the idea that an iris that has survived several decades despite neglect, drought, flood, etc. has a desirable quality in its genes. An intro from last year (or from 2000, for that matter) hasn't been tried in the same way, so we can't really be sure which ones have those same genetic traits. Out of my newer irises, I'd personally put some money on "Sharp Dressed Man," for one. It's only two years old in my garden, so that's a really premature bet, I realize, but I've been impressed so far by its laughter in the face of some pretty nasty climate events.
