I am always trying to downsize and not being very successful. I am looking to add only high performing/beautiful iris. Please list a few of yours that you would not live without. Pictures will be great too.

Thank you,
Teresa in KY

Stairway to Heaven

Tomorrow might be something different but today I was impressed with these two:

Chariots of Fire

Lunch In Madrid (maiden bloom)

I'll have to think on this, Teresa...........

'Mulled Wine'


Iris pallida 'Aurea Variegata', aka "Zebra"


'Spring Bliss'.. I have pictures of it in bloom last year from March, June, July, September, October & November... and it had buds in January that got wet and rotted and foiled it's winter bloom.


'Dynamite'- picture says it all.. Abundant, large flowers.. long bloom.


'Splashacta'- early, prolific, and long bloom.


It's a tie between 'That's All Folks' and 'Smart Money'.. This color makes me happy.


...and of course my beloved purple plicata NOID that I've had forever. I've got several clumps and it looks good with everything. Outperforms most other Iris in the garden, and has a stately presence.


I'm also fond of: 'Indian Chief', 'Quaker Lady', several blue NOIDS, Pledge Allegiance, a large yellow historic NOID... Oh gosh.. it's endless... There were many that I got last year that I just swooned when I saw them bloom.. Ask this again in a year, and I'm sure I'll have more additions.

Thank you for posting. I have one that is similar to our last one. It is Jesse's Song. Anyone have a problem with weak stalks on theirs? They make a nice bouquet inside.

Hi Teresa -- I've had Jesse's Song in my Iris beds for eons -- no weak stalks at all. Just the opposite, in fact -- I never have a bloom stalk of JS on the ground -- regardless of wind, rain, etc.

Is yours planted where it is in the shade for part of the day?

Based on "sentiment" :


My NOID 3^ , or "Mrs. B's" I *think* it's Pink Satin

Based on Aroma:


Based on based on form of the whole plant(bloom, stature, braching):


Based on "good plant habit" (increase, disease resistance , # of flowers, substance):

Snow Maiden (Chadwick 1935) Dwarf it would be classed SDB by todays rules
Based on reliable Rebloom:

Earl Of Essex (Zurbrigg 1979)

As long as I'm on TOP of the dirt, these will be IN my dirt !

I take it you are looking for our favorites that are also good increases and bloomers? Which, for me, is different than my favorites that bloom every year, but only a few blooms at a time.

I am at work, or I would post my pictures. I would say for a good dark purple that grows well, has tons of blooms, and never needs staking I would say Badlands
or it's progeny Coal Seams

Is Badlands a bicolor? It is beautiful!

I have a NoID purple that is my favorite purple TB. I don't have a photo that does it justice. It is a wonderfully big, purple, purple, purple, full bloom. It is one that everyone stops to see. So hard to pick favorites. They start running through my mind like a slide show. However, no matter how beautiful or unique a bloom is, if it falls over, wilts in a day or sulks, it will never be my favorite. I guess the old saying is true 'pretty is as pretty does'. A sulky flower does not seem like a happy flower.

My NOID purple I will not do without. Long bloom, great increases, very dependable. And I love the color.



War Chief. What's not to like? The flowers are big.


This NOID may or may not be Blackcurrent. Increases, reliable and beautiful.

Badlands is a self. It really glows in the sun and has a nice velvety appearance. I have been really pleased with it's increase, and a clump of them is fantastic. I will post a pic when I get home.

Sure are a lot of nice purple NoIDs out there - wonder if it is because they are hard to identify?

Perhaps because if they are a self the differences would be minute. Often that results in a garden visitor saying 'I have one just like it' and going home and labeling an iris with a wrong name. Then when grown side by side, or when blooms are cut and vased for an event and placed side by side, people will say they don't know which is which and both become a NoID. Some peoples thought processes are chaotic and this results in chaos. The garden does not like chaos.

I agree with some of what you say, Bonnie.......applying a name to an iris is often done very 'willy nilly", but , really, when you get down to brass tacks........the FLOWER doesn't care what it's name is ! it's only us 'anal types" that care! A name matters if you want to tell someone which plant they should buy, if they want one "just like yours", but, If you give them some of yours..........again, the name is unimportant........ the same plant can be called many, many things, by many different gardeners......and still be just a as much of a joy to everyone. I grow a few a lot of "hand-me -down "iris that were from my Mothers garden, and I've tried to put "Real names" to them....sometimes successfully, and some times not.......there are a couple of them, that are just ,plain "butt-ugly"....muddy colors, rotten form, lousy substance.......and I wouldn't part with them for the world ! If I tried to "gift" one of these to somebody else.....they would run away, screaming, I'm sure ! Whether we get enjoyment from creating a 'new" iris hybrid, or from "saving" an old ,forgotten cultivar from obscurity, or seeing if we can grow a better" example" of it than anyone else, and bring home a Blue Ribbon, or just want to brighten up our little corner of the world, the Iris will do it's best to oblige us !

and some of those 'muddy' old irises are the staunchest growers that can be planted in country cemeteries and around old trees and along fence rows. Seen up close and as an individual they may look ugly but from a distance and as a clump they make a beautiful display. And, they are the survivors. They will grow and bloom long after I cease to. smiles

Who you callin' anal?!?

If the shoe fits .....................

Well, I have to give my #1 spot to Coffee Shop - a Blyth creation.
Part of it was because it was my first tb of the year to flower - I was anxiously waiting - and it was big and beautiful.
But I still have some about to bloom that may knock it out of first place. I reserve the right to
change my mind!


these are close contenders:

Haunted Heart (Keppel)



Chinese Treasure - an early Blyth - one of the first to bloom in April - and still blooming!



Coffee Whispers (Blyth)

adding Love of Life (Ghio) which was gorgeous, but a little short - maybe the drought?

Good choices, Jan. I could not choose between them.

Thanks, Bonnie!