I've heard Miniature Tall Bearded Irises make especially beautiful cut flowers, so I've decided to collect some in the coming year. What are your favorite MTBs?

My favourite medium size irises are:


I don't have any MTBs (minature tall bearded)

Those are beautiful, Robin. Thanks for correcting my MTB acronymn. I had a brief brain glitch. When I read the description of them, I decided I must have some:

"What a miniature rose is to a tea rose, Miniature Tall Bearded Iris are to the Tall Bearded Iris class. Once called Table Top Iris, MTB's have many dainty flowers on a slender stem, 16 – 27.5 inches tall. Be sure to plant this small dainty iris close at hand so that you may inspect and enjoy each perfect miniaturized flower."

I don't have any photos of MTBs other than our own seedlings as am not a photographer. But love my husbands's award winner Billie the Brownie. Look at Terry Aitken's site for MTBs as well as Mid America which also carries them.

I planted a few just to try them out and I really enjoyed them last year. I didn't cut them, so I don't know how they do as cut flowers, but in the garden they were spectacular, especially for first year, single rhizomes!
This one, especially, made me smile for days and days--bloomed its fool head off!

tic tac toe

and this one


I'd say find a few in your favorite colors and give 'em a try!

Oooh. Tic Tac Toe is a pretty one, Dirt!

I love MTB's, and know they are supposed to be great cut flowers, but have still never cut any. I have always enjoyed Bumblebee Deelite, and Frosted Velvet, that are real survivors. Of newer ones Chocolate Fountain and Moose Tracks have been wonderful. Cascade Trails, that Dirt listed, was a very happy grower in every garden I saw in the Northwest last spring.

Ooh! I got a itty bitty Frosted Velvet. It didn't bloom last year but grew well so hopefully next year

Thank you, Leslie, for the link and Dirt, Leslie, and Jan for the great suggestions. I'm already building my shopping list.

According to my plant list, I have 10 MTBs, these two were my favourites this year:



I don't know if you can get Quagga in the US, but Plinko is available from Mid-America.

I don't think that we can get Quagga. Any pink MTB is tetraploid, but the majority of them are diploids which is why they are so dainty.

One I've had on my want list is Dividing Line -- and now a lot more that you all have shared. Thank you!

Start the Party and Flirtin' Skirts are the favorites of the small number I've grown. I'm hoping Paul Black introduces some new ones again this year.

Kent - looking at all the MTB seedlings he is currently growing, I would say we will see more from Paul Black soon!

Lyndylu - Dividing Line is a cute one. Very petite looking but bright enough to catch your eye.

grows like a weed.

Joseph's Coat Katkamier. There are much better examples in the database than my pic. But it is a wonderful broken color Iris with a sometimes dotted pattern, that reminds me of Dotted Swiss fabric, on the Standards. The same Standards can also and at the same time include very dramatic blocked broken color patterns. Crow Rita's photos in the database demonstrate this.

irisarian said:grows like a weed.

Are you referring to a particular iris -- or all MTBs?

Thanks!

iris Dividing Line which was mentioned.

These are my two favorite MTB's:


'Maslon' ( Donald Spoon, R. 2002).



'Sari's Dance' (Ginny Spoon, R. 2007).

I would sooooo love Quagga! maybe someday it will get over here

Here is a nice one that is technically a historic TB, but is shorter, small, dainty and prolific like the MTBs...it 'reads' like an MTB anyway