Well, I'll tell you the "method" I use.....sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.......but it's the easiest on my "pea brain", and keeps me from going TOO nuts ,looking at a zillion pictures:
1) Take some good pictures of the iris, from several angles, and some close ups of the beard. A photo, or two of the whole plant, (to show branching, and bud count) helps, as well.
2) take some good notes of :
a) how long you have grown it, or, better way to say it, How long you have "known' it to be grown.( i.e. I f you've had it 4 years, and you got it from Aunt Sally, who got it from a neighbor in 1972....you already know it was intro'ed BEFORE 1972)
b) what is it's "bloom season"....early ,late, and does it ever try to re bloom?
c) average height of the stalks ,(to the top of the blossom", and what you think it's "class' is (SDB, BB, TB, whatever)
d) does it display any PBF ? (Purple based foliage)
e) are the spathes papery, or green, or tinged with purple?
d) does it "smell", and ,if so, what like....grapes, spice, orange blossoms?
3) Post the picture here, on the forum, with a brief description, in hopes someone will say " I think that's *****", that gives you a "leg up" in your search.
4) Use the search feature to scan for 'possibles' (i.e. blue self, yellow beard 30" tall'', no PBF, papery spathes, and whatever else you can note)
5)If the above doesn't get you any "possibles, you can also look through vendors sites for matches to the photo (or "close" matches, for further research), also the Gallery section on the HIPS site has lots of pics, as does the iris Paradise site.
6) if still no luck, either try all the above again, with more / better notes and pictures, or learn to love the "NOID"
7) if you do find a match, or at least what seems to be a match, you then can either beg, borrow, or buy, a "start" of what you *think* is the iris, and grow it along side your noid, when it blooms, make a CAREFUL exam ,of BOTH, not being afraid to "dissect" a bloom of each, and looking at every feature beard, style arms, anthers , veneration, *everything * you can! If every thing's the same...you have a name!, if it's NOT the same....well, you know what your NOID *isn't*, and you can either 8try again*, or....learn to love the NOID !
It's not usually easy, take lots of time, it will make you nuts, as well as cross-eyed from looking at pictures, and reading descriptions in the check lists, and old iris catalogs.....but GOD, it's fun!!!! Good luck, and enjoy your search !
