The Bearded Iris Collection at Tufton Farm
Although several clumps of bearded irises are incorporated into the enclosed area of the garden at Tufton Farm, or are planted on the grounds, the preponderance of the CHP collection is grown in specially constructed terraced beds on a sunny hillside beyond the greenhouse. These beds were most recently dug, and the plants divided and reset, in early September, 2008. At that time, an additional bed was prepared which will provide a venue for research and cultivar identification projects.
Many of the Tufton irises arrived as part of the inaugural donation from Mike Lowe and Cameron Hall, of Virginia, which was planted in October, 1995. Others have since been added, including six new irises in 2008. Some cultivars in the collection are of great age; most predate 1930; the youngest was introduced to trade in 1938.
Developing, refining, and documenting the bearded iris collection is an ongoing process integral to the CHP mission. We grow these flowers that we may preserve them, study them, enjoy them, and make them available to like-minded gardeners and institutions. As is to be expected with any diverse selection of living plants, some Iris cultivars have thriven in Tufton‘s red clay, while others have languished, or fallen by the way. Not every historic iris is amenable to preservation in every garden.
AMAS - Sir Michael Foster, (England), Collected in Asia Minor, 1885
Vibrant blue-violet bitone. Golden beard. A robust tetraploid wild form of I. x germanica.
AMBASSADEUR - Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie, (France) 1920
Regal, tall, late-blooming velvety claret and ecru classic bitone. Rich orange beard.
BALDWIN - Hans Peter Sass, (Nebraska), 1927
Unusually large satiny flowers, iridescent reddish violet with blue tones, and a lemon beard.
BÉOTIE - Cayeux et LeClerc, (France), 1932
Extraordinary pewter grey with gas flame blue iridescence on the falls. Large, late blooming.
CALIFORNIA BLUE - Prof. E. O. Essig, (California), 1929
Tall medium blue self. Golden beard. Large flowers. A seedling of ‘Conquistador.’
COL. CANDELOT - Millet et Fils, (France), 1907
Small flowers, deep red velvety falls, bronzy rose standards, conspicuous white haft markings.
CONQUISTADOR - William Mohr, (California), 1923
Very tall, fragrant, clear blue self. Lighter than ‘California Blue. ’Compact foliage, gold beard.
CORONATION - Irving Moore, (Illinois),1927
Deep yellow self with occasional red flecks. Sturdy, dependable, honey locust fragrance.
CYANEA - Goos & Koenemann, (Germany), 1899
Very early, very floriferous, dark purple hybrid dwarf iris, with a yellow beard.
DOLLY MADISON - E. B. Williamson, (Indiana),1927
Tall luminous golden tan and lavender with golden beard. A larger ‘Quaker Lady.’
ÉVOLUTION - Cayeux et LeClerc, (France) 1929
Fine coppery bronze, iridescent lilac area on falls, Golden beard. Foliage deep purple at base.
FARANDOLE - Cayeux et LeClerc, (France). 1928
Elegant larger blooms, smoky parchment standards, touched mauve, muted antique rose falls.
FAUSTINE - Jean-Nicolas Lémon, (France) 1859
Small vibrant flowers in deep violet blue with tidy darker veining. Very strong and floriferous.
FLAVESCENS - Published by DeCandolle, and painted by Redouté. Before 1813
Pale yellow, falls lighter, olive veining at haft. Fragrant. Listed 1854 by William Prince, USA.
HONORABILE - Jean-Nicolas Lémon, (France),1840
Small, variable, bright yellow and reddish brown classic. Sold by Watson in the USA in 1854.
Iris albicans - Lange Johan M. C. Lange, (Denmark) Collected Arabia, 1860
Early blooming white species endemic to the Mediterranean. A cemetery iris in some areas.
Iris pallida Lamarck - J. Lamarck, (France) Named 1789, but older in cultivation.
Tall fragrant lavender European native. Ubiquitous, but questions remain as to its true origins.
Iris x germanica ‘Florentina’ - An ancient garden plant, probably originating in southern Europe.
The semi-albino form of the common purple I. x germanica. Best known of the orris irises.
INDIAN CHIEF - Dr. Wylie Ayers, (Ohio), 1929
Tall, often encountered, classic red bitone, Dark wine falls, standards much lighter. Strong.
JULIA MARLOWE - J. Marion Shull, (Maryland),1924
Stocky intense reddish mulberry purple with lighter standards and a lemon beard. Fragrant.
KOCHII - Collected by Anton Josef Kerner, (Austria) Collected Italy, 1867
Intense blackish purple self. Mysterious wildling, possibly a form of I. x germanica, or a hybrid.
LORD OF JUNE - George Yeld, V.M.H., (England), 1911
Large flowered, early blooming, tall light blue self. Fragrance said to resemble cinnamon.
MA MIE - Cayeux et LeClerc, (France),1906
“My Darling.” White stitched medium blue violet. Well proportioned, compact. Good fragrance.
MEXICANA - John Salter, (England) Before 1859
Small variable flowers, blooms low with yellow standards, falls white and shades of claret.
MIDWEST - Hans Peter Sass, (Nebraska), 1923
Colorful, floriferous, shorter iris. White ground heavily dotted fuchsia, with blue tints.
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MILDRED PRESBY - Bertrand Farr, (Pennsylvania), 1923
Pale creamy standards over velvety damson purple falls. Gold tones in the heart of the flower.
MISS ARAVILLA - Hans Peter Sass, (Nebraska),1938
Vibrant red falls surmounted by rich coppery standards. Compact rounded flowers.
MME. CHÉREAU - Jean-Nicolas Lémon, (France), 1844
Tall, very elegant white, precisely stitched blue. Smaller flowers. Listed by Hovey, USA 1860 .
MONSIGNOR - Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie, (France), 1907
Medium purple with distinctive velvety wine area on the falls. Conspicuous bright beard.
MOONLIGHT - William Rickatson Dykes, (England), 1923
Luminous warm, but greyed, white with arching standards, tan haze on falls and bright beard.
MOTHER OF PEARL - Miss Grace Sturtevant, (Massachusetts), 1917
Tall, refined near white self with the palest possible hints of blue and rose.
MRS. MARION CRAN - Amos Perry, V.M.H., (England), 1923
Soft medium rose, standards lighter, tall and sturdy. Mrs. Cran was a UK garden writer.
NUÉE D’ORAGE - Eugene Verdier, (France), 1905
“Storm Cloud” Unique taupe and smoked lavender bicolor with distinctive rippled texture.
PERFECTION Peter Barr, (England), 1880
Rich blue-violet bitone, darker velvety falls, standards sometimes flecked. Yellow beard.
PLUMERI - Origins unknown Documented UK, 1888, but probably older.
Brilliant small coppery magenta with showy old gold beard. Tidy rounded fragrant flowers.
QUAKER LADY - Bertrand Farr, (Pennsylvania),1909
Cocoa and lavender, suffused with golden light. A demure beauty with perfect plant habits.
RAMESES - Hans Peter Sass, (Nebraska), 1929
Large. Old rose falls and buff standards. Golden beard. American Dykes Medal in 1932.
SEMINOLE - Bertrand Farr, (Pennsylvania), 1920
Shorter brilliant deep magenta enlivened by an unusually vibrant orange yellow beard.
SOUV. DE MME. GAUDICHAU - Millet et Fils, (France) 1914
Rich medium blue violet near self. White haft marks surround blue beard tipped bright bronze.
SUSA - Hans Peter Sass, (Nebraska),1934
Very compact hybrid of a dwarf iris and ‘Amas’. Rich red purple, large blooms, blue beards.
SUSAN BLISS - Arthur John Bliss, (England), 1922
Tall, bright, lilac pink. Haft marks light purple. Brilliant light orange beard warms the tone.
SWEET LAVENDER - Arthur John Bliss, (England), 1919
Two toned lavender, standards distinctly bluer. Small flowers, strong honey locust fragrance.
SWERTI - Pictured in Emanuel Sweert’s Florilegium Before 1612
White stitched blue with falls distinctively pinched. William Prince’s catalog, USA, 1823.
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TAMERLAN - Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie, (France), 1904
Blue-violet bitone. The first modern tetraploid bearded iris resulting from planned hybridization.
THAÏS - Cayeux et LeClerc, (France), 1926
Delicate texture. Tall. A pinker form of the species I. pallida. A lovely landscaping iris.
TRUE DELIGHT Miss Grace Sturtevant, (Massachusetts), 1924
Pure white standards and falls stitched clear rose pink. Vigorous, tall, pretty and fragrant.
VINGOLF - Goos & Koenemann, (Germany), 1924
Ecru standards, greyed purple falls rimmed ecru. Yellow beard. Stocky, and very floriferous.
WYOMISSING - Bertrand Farr, (Pennsylvania), 1909
White to palest pink ground, falls heavily veined deep rose, excellent yellow beard. Fragrant.
YVES LASSAILLY - Cayeux et LeClerc, (France), 1928
Pearl white with golden shoulders elegantly marked darker, and a light sky blue overlay on falls.
CHP 2K09/01 “Hall’s ‘Monterey’" - Received from Cameron Hall in 1995 identified as MONTEREY, a cultivar introduced in 1929 by Sidney B. Mitchell of California on behalf of William Mohr, then deceased, also of California.
The identity of this plant, a superb tall purple and arguably the strongest iris in the collection, was challenged in 2008 by the preeminent expert in the field. We have assigned the plant a study name, and eagerly await resolution of the question.
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List compiled and annotated by Anner Whitehead.