I have a garden of irises in my backyard. I have been growing them for the last 6 years. I divided and replanted last summer and this year they have grown and multiplied like crazy! I have one iris plant, though, that, in terms of size, has reached a height of 60", from the bottom of the stalk to the top of the flower. It is a white-bearded iris. I have never seen anything like it! It is beautiful. It finally bloomed two days ago and I was interested in whether or not there is currently a tall bearded iris that has been recorded as being the tallest registered iris in the United States...or even the world. I searched on Google and found the record for one that is 30" inches tall. How do I register mine? I would like to have it considered and on record if it is a record tall iris. What do I need to do or what process do I need to complete in order for it to be recognized?
Thank you,
Martie Huggins
[Admin removed personal info]

Schreiner's Awards and Achievements, have been closed for 2020 due to the virus. I agree, you have a winner there, and it has topped the height record. Maybe next year you can grow a record bloom again. You have some beauties there and thank you for sharing.

Removed your personal info, never a good idea to post that in a public forum.

Martie ~ to the Iris Forum!

Thank you for sharing your "monster" !

P.S. What are you using to feed it?

marti, to the iris forum.

Thank you for the compliments. I have been trying to figure out what I fed my giant Iris, as well. I watered a couple of times a week, re-planted it too close to my other irises, but, I raised the level of where I planted it the first time to a higher elevation than before. So, even though I didn't really research the proper way to plant them at first, every flower I replanted is thriving! Mother Nature must be in a great mood. These irises have kept my disposition positive through this Covid-19 Pandemic. Every day I go outside early morning and look forward to seeing new growth and changes within my garden of Irises. They were never this big in size before. I talk to them...and I think they listen!! I also have two dogs that like to wander through the garden so I placed pinecones from my pine tree all around each of the iris plants to keep them away. They are also planted on an embankment that has a fountain with water and a pond attached with fish...and well-water that runs through the fountain. I really think the nutrients from the well-water and the pond are what made the difference!

There are many irises that are registered with a height over 30". The average for a TB is 34-36 inches. I have one iris that is very tall in my collection. It is "Steffie Ann". It has a registered height of 40 inches. I have had irises also exceed their registered height, sometimes by a significant margin.

Do you know the name of your iris? Or is it one you hybridized?

I am not sure about the name of my Iris. I have an estimated 20 years or so of gardening experience, but, my experience is limited to a basic understanding of gardening in general. I have done some research on specific flowers and plants over the years, and I have to say that common sense has done well for me, and my love for flowers is astronomical! I want to learn more because it is my escape from stress at the end of the day and the start of a peaceful morning. I am a self-taught fine arts artist and very creative in many areas of arts and crafts projects and currently working on an industrial art project which has been affected by the coronavirus and its limitations. My flower garden takes me away with all of the brilliance of colors and the amazing characteristics that Mother Nature has bestowed upon its flowering plants. So, honestly, the little experience that I have has taken me a long way but my technical knowledge has room for improvement, so Iris names and other important concepts or processes surrounding these beauties, such as names and how a gardening society works is something I wish to learn more about and put into action. In terms of Iris names...I am a little confused as to what that means. Does that mean a name that was already established for my particular type of Iris, or does it mean that I am supposed to name my Iris a unique name? I would definitely like to register my iris and other ones that I am growing and begin a list to keep track of each of them. How do I go about this? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

evelyninthegarden said:
P.S. What are you using to feed it?

Anything it wants!

Most iris are named and registered, if you have had it for a while, most likely it was a named iris when purchased or when it was given to you. You can not register an iris unless you know of it's beginnings, like if you grew it from seed.

Thank you for your information Calif_Sue. Several years ago I moved locally into my fiance's family built home that was originally built in 1910 by his great-grandfather and it was occupied by family members only. Over the years as family members grew out of it or they passed away, it was inherited by my fiance. This old home was in desperate need of a remodel and a landscaping makeover. I noticed upon moving here that there were irises planted on the property in clusters and also on the lot that is on the property next to us.

This lot next door was once a part of our property but is now abandoned. The first irises were planted by my fiance's grandmother who just passed away recently. She was married in our home when she was young and she was the first to plant these irises which is why they were scattered across both properties. I was allowed to dig up the old rhizomes and re-plant in our newly landscaped yard. What a job it was! You would never recognize it from before. Anyway, with all of that being said, I have replanted the irises along my fence line on an embankment so that I can easily get a nice view of these beauties. When I first dug them up and even after the first replanting, they were short in height and very few blooms.

They were also planted around our pond and fountain we built and they have multiplied like crazy and the growth has been absolutely amazing! So, I really can't take credit for planting them starting with the seeds or rhizomes. However, the ones that I replanted over the years that were born from the original ones planted I feel like I should be able to take credit for those. But, I understand the rules now of naming and registering specific Irises. If I can't register the iris, that's is ok, because the experience has taught me so much. If you want to know if any of them have a name that I created...? Yes, I named the specific 60" iris, "Mr. Iris"! I talk to all of my plants and flowers and even apologize to them if a leaf breaks or if when I am replanting, and one of them has some kind of obvious rot, which I have found in some of the other ones.

I am going to inquire with another family member who is still alive and would be probably the only person who actually planted some of the irises when she was living here. She would have some knowledge of where they all came from.

This may be your iris, love this old photo.

Karin ~ to the Iris Forum!

Where on Earth did you find that photo?

Wow! What a picture!

Wow! I have never seen irises so tall.

Kahumingi said:

I STILL want to know where this photo originated.

I would like to know as well. I am going to research it and if I find out, I will post it to this thread😀

Kahumingi said:

This may be your iris, love this old photo.

I was hunting for that picture, myself, but couldn't find it. I had seen it, years ago on the old "World of Irises" website (which is gone, after Mike's passing). I believe it came from an old (very old") issue of "Irises"(the AIS magazine). Thanks , so much for posting it, and, I would love a link to where you found it !

Arlyn ~ Maybe Karin has that issue! Wouldn't that be wonderful?

I would be interested in knowing exactly how tall the man is in the picture to really judge the height of those iris.
I have had several over 45 inches this year. That mild winter really set them to growing big.