Data specific to Irises (Edit)
Hybridizer: Monty Byers
Year Of Registration: 1988
Year Of Introduction (May Differ From Registry): 1989
Seedling Number: D156-1-B
Classification: Tall Bearded (TB)
Registered Height: 35 inches (89 cm)
Bloom Season: Mid
Flower Form: Fluted
Bloom Color Classification: Tan
Green
Violet
Flower Patterns: Blend
Bloom Color Description: Pale ecru standards; greenish tan falls, deeper at hafts which are overlaid by deep violet lines radiating out from around beards and suffusing into center
Beard Color: Violet tipped mustard, violet horns or spoons
Space Age Beard Appendages: Horns
Spoons
Foliage: Purple Based
Fragrance: Slight
Sweet
Awards: Honorable Mention: 1991
Award of Merit: 1993
John C. Wister Medal: 1996
Dykes Memorial Medal: 1997

General Plant Information (Edit)
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9b
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Underground structures: Rhizome
Propagation: Seeds: Will not come true from seed
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Ploidy: Tetraploid
Parentage: Art of Raphael X B-8-2: (Cease-Fire x Sky Hooks)
Child plants: 162 child plants

Image
Common names
  • Tall Bearded Iris
  • Iris

Photo Gallery
Location: My Garden in Janesville, WI
Date: 2014-06-04

Date: 2014-05-11
Photo by pinkiris

Date: 2004-05-30
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Date: 2019-04-27
TB Iris Thornbird

Thornbird
Location: West Valley City, UT
Date: 2017-05-12
Location: My garden
Date: 2021-05-27
A very reliable bloomer.
Location: San Rafael, CA
Date: 2017-04-24 
Beware of the Golden Panther looming in the background
Photo by evelyninthegarden
Photo by Snork
Location: Bytom/Poland/
Date: 2014-05-27
Location: My garden
Date: 2018-05-30

Date: 2023
Location: Switzerland, Merian Gardens Basel
Date: 2017-05-20
Location: Tacoma, WA
Date: May 27,2022
Location: San Rafael, CA
Date: 2017-05-04
Location: Poilly-Lez-Gien France
"Photo courtesy of Cayeux Iris. Used with permission."
Location: My garden
Date: 2018-05-22
Location: My garden
Date: 2018-05-22
Location: Bochnia, Poland
Date: 2014-06-14
Location: my gardens
Date: 4-25-2018
the horns on this are incredible
Location: Schreiner's Iris Gardens, Salen, Oregon
Date: 2015-05-18
AIS National Convention, Portland, OR--Iris in Wonderland 2015
Location: Yorkville, IL
Date: 2020-06-01
Photo by Snork

Date: 2022-05-08

At Schreiner's Iris Gardens

Thornbird
Location: Sass Memorial Garden near Ashland, NE
Date: 2010-05-17
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Date: 2016-05-02
Photo by Calif_Sue
Location: Chailey Iris Garden, East Sussex, UK.
Date: 2022-06-11
Location: Wisconsin
Date: 2011
Location: Photo by Carol Bacskai; zone 5b, Yorkville, IL
Date: 2022-05-28
Location: Catheys Valley CA
Photo courtesy of Superstition Iris Gardens, posted with permissi
Location: Australia
Date: 2020-10-15
Location: San Rafael, CA
Date: 2017-04-24
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Date: 4/19/17
Location: Bochnia, Poland
Date: 2014-06-14
Photo by tveguy3
Location: Tennille Georgia
Date: 2022-04-08
Iris Thornbird
Location: Knoxville, TN
Location: My garden
Date: 2020-05-21

Date: 2015-05-28
Location: Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK.
Location: Home
Photo by pinkiris
Location: Cisco, Tx
Location: Cisco, Tx
Location: Vancouver,  WA 
Date: 2018-05-26
5 26 2018
Location: Bytom/Poland/
Date: 2014-05-27
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark, EU
Date: 2016-06-10
Photo in shade
Location: My garden
Date: 2018-05-29
Location: Lincoln, NE
Date: 2009-05-23
Location: new albany, in
Location: north central Texas
Date: 2004-04-26
Location: My garden
Date: 2018-05-22
Location: my yard
Date: 2018
Location: Tennille Georgia
Date: 4/27/23
Iris Thornbird
Location: My Garden in Fort Worth, TX
Date: 2018-04-13
Location: San Rafael, CA
Date: 2018-04-29
Stick out your beard and say ‘ah’
Location: Chino Valley Arizona
Date: 2021-05-12
Location: Sass Memorial Garden near Ashland, Nebraska
Date: 2010-05-17
Location: Whitesboro, TX
Date: 2017-05-24
Image courtesy of The Shady Spot Iris. All rights reserved.
Location: Conroe, Texas
Date: 4/11/2019
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-06-01
Location: Richlands, NC
Date: 2022-04-22
Photo by Neela
Photo by pinkiris
Location: My garden
Date: 2020-05-26
The Thornbirds have arrived.
Photo by Betja
Location: Conroe, Texas
Date: 2020-04-19
First Bloom of the 2020 Season.
Location: Tacoma, WA
Date: 2023-05-22
Photo by Muddymitts
Photo by huneybunch_2000

At Schreiner's Iris Gardens
Location: my front yard
Date: 2014-05-29
Location: Michigan-my garden
Date: June 2022
Location: Schreiner's Gardens near Salem, OR
Date: 2015-05-14

Photo courtesy of Blue J Iris. Used with permission.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Yukon, Oklahoma
Date: late April
top view of bloom
Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2012-05-03
Location: Sass Memorial Garden near Ashland, Nebraska
Date: 2012-05-04
Location: Australia
Date: 2018-10-22
Location: Knoxville, TN
Date: 2014-05-10
Location: Chino Valley Arizona
Date: 2021-05-09
Location: Chino Valley Arizona
Date: 2021-05-09
Location: My garden
Date: 2020-06-01
Top view. Thank you, Rob!
Location: Chino Valley Arizona
Date: 2022-05-03
Location: My garden
Date: 5-16-2021
Location: Botanical Garden, Faculty of Scence, Zagreb, Croatia
Date: 2021-05-13
Iris BE 'Thornbird' bud, by Ms Mirna Kirin

At Schreiner's Iris Gardens
Location: Lewiston, Idaho
Date: 5-14-2015
Location: Enid, Oklahoma
Date: 2013-05-14
Location: New Zealand
Date: 2013-11-03
Location: Aquitania (France)
Date: 2012-06-01
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2021-06-09
Location: Columbia, SC
Date: 2018-04-28
Location: My garden
Date: 2021-05-28
In full sun.
Location: East TX  zone 8a
Date: 2006
Location: My garden
Date: 2021-05-16
Location: Conroe, Texas
Date: 2019-04-11
Location: Botanical Garden, Faculty of Scence, Zagreb, Croatia
Date: 2021-05-21
Iris TB 'Thornbird'
Location: Botanical Garden, Faculty of Scence, Zagreb, Croatia
Date: 2021-05-20
Iris TB 'Thornbird'
Location: Lewiston, Idaho
Date: 5-14-2015
Location: In my garden
Date: 2013-05-14
Location: Schreiner's Gardens near Salem, OR
Date: 2015-05-14
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by pitcherell4 on Dec 17, 2016 9:49 AM concerning plant:
    Pictures do not do this iris justice. It is my favorite among them all and is increasing well in my zone 5. It also has stong stalks.
Plant Events from our members
Zencat On May 20, 2018 Bloomed
Zencat On May 11, 2017 Bloomed
Zencat On July 25, 2015 Obtained plant
From Mary Ann
chelle On July 10, 2015 Transplanted
Date rec'd and planted.

Old veggie patch, N side.
evelyninthegarden On September 15, 2017 Obtained plant
Obtained a huge clump from Rob. I planted the clump 9-16-2017
VAMOJO On August 11, 2017 Obtained plant
RS-CA
gardenglassgems On August 27, 2022 Miscellaneous Event
Located a clump in Flower Garden Bed 5.
gardenglassgems On August 23, 2022 Transplanted
from pot to Small Asparagus Bed.
RachaelHunter On May 28, 2023 Bloomed
RachaelHunter On September 6, 2022 Obtained plant
Robin lonsdale
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
id? by Paul2032 Jun 8, 2014 9:12 PM 6
So tasty by lilpod13 May 4, 2017 7:05 PM 0
Great picture of Thornbird. by Paul2032 Aug 14, 2019 2:40 PM 0

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Irises Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Irises (Iris)

« Visit the Irises forum

« The Irises Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page

Today's site banner is by Lucius93 and is called "Erysimum cheiri"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.