Help me decide!
I have one spot for a new iris and have narrowed it down to these two. I would love any input about either one or comparing the two. Which do you like better, and why?

I can't quite answer your question because I've never seen Golden Panther, but Spice Trader is wonderful. Each flower is a slightly different combination of the colors. It is so dramatic and eyecatching.

MrsMud said: Help me decide!
I have one spot for a new iris and have narrowed it down to these two. I would love any input about either one or comparing the two. Which do you like better, and why?

Golden Panther:
Honorable Mention: 2002
Award of Merit: 2004
John C. Wister Medal: 2006
Dykes Memorial Medal: 2009
President's Cup: 2004



For one thing, I think the form is much better on Golden Panther and I think its many awards reflect that. Spice Trader is lovely for its color shadings, but I generally require excellent form. Standards tipping this way and that really bother me.

I have both and love them, but Golden Panther is a better grower for me and blooms every year, Spice Trader skips a year every once in a while.

Ironically in my garden Spice Trader grows far better than Golden Panther. The biggest decision is if you want a self like Panther, or a broken color like Spice.

I so agree that form is important, so not meaning to diss Golden Panther that I've never seen, I have learned that awards are not necessarily the last word in a decision for me. As I mentioned on another thread, two similar iris Tuscan Summer (Dyke's Medal) and Flash Mob (AM) - I much prefer Flash Mob - and apologies in advance to those who will be shocked, but I really don't care for Thornbird (at least based on the pictures as I've never seen it in person.)

DaisyDo said: Golden Panther:
Honorable Mention: 2002
Award of Merit: 2004
John C. Wister Medal: 2006
Dykes Memorial Medal: 2009
President's Cup: 2004

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Golden Panther')
• Uploaded by DaisyDo

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Golden Panther')
• Uploaded by DaisyDo

For one thing, I think the form is much better on Golden Panther and I think its many awards reflect that. Spice Trader is lovely for its color shadings, but I generally require excellent form. Standards tipping this way and that really bother me.

I prefer Golden Panther of the 2.A reliable bloomer for me.But this is just my personal preference.

Thanks to all who replied 😊
What about bloom size? I tend not to care for small blooms much.

Spice Trader has never had small blooms for me. I don't recall Golden Panther's being small but it's been awhile.

LOL! size matters! The reason I only grow TB is not because they are tall (sometimes they are too tall) -- it is because the flowers are BIG. No small flowers for me either.

MrsMud said: Thanks to all who replied 😊
What about bloom size? I tend not to care for small blooms much.

Lyn, I wholeheartedly agree with you as to Flash Mob being prettier than Tuscan Summer, but it's unfair to compare the awards for the two of them yet, because Flash Mob is much newer and hasn't yet finished running the awards gauntlet. FM won the Award of Merit in 2021, so it has not been eligible to compete for the Wister Award until 2023. It's currently being judged for that, and we won't have the results for that until this fall. I am fully expecting it to get one of the Wister Awards. And from there, it could go on to win the Dykes. It's just too soon to know, but I will be watching! 😁

Spice Trader, unlike Flash Mob has finished runnng the awards gauntlet. It won the Award of merit in 2014, but failed to win the Wister in 2016, or the Dykes.

I can't say that all of my irises are high award winners, but I have been especially pleased with the ones that were.

P.S. Like you, I don't like all of the high award winners. I pick and choose between them. And like you, I have not been able to see the appeal of Thornbird, except that it does make an impressive clump of bloom. And it has nice form. I just can't get past the ecru. But acknowledge there is definitely something for everyone!

Golden Panther

Spice Trader

I suppose if you had to choose which of your children that you loved best, it would be an unfair question.

I thought I had lost both of these irises over the winter as rot and gophers were on the attack in the constant moisture from the snow and rain that we got in late winter and early spring. Fortunately, I had Golden Panther in a mixed bed, far from the iris rows that I just discovered in bloom yesterday.

A tip of the hat to both. But I think you can see why I like Golden Panther's perfect form better. I have many times considered getting Spice Trader, but never did because of form.

I've grown Golden Panther for several years. I planted Spice Trader last year and it bloomed for me this spring. I find Spice Trader's colors more interesting than GP's. Since I've only had ST for one year, I can't compare its bloom habits to GP's. GP's falls are a little more flared than I really like, but it grew really well for me this heavy rain year and its branching was the best it has ever been. I'm keeping them both.

Honestly I really like clumps of MTB's breaking up a bunch of TB's. And Medians blooming in front of their taller brethren. Variety is the spice of life.

Lestv said: Honestly I really like clumps of MTB's breaking up a bunch of TB's. And Medians blooming in front of their taller brethren. Variety is the spice of life.

I would definitely do that if I had room, unfortunately I am working with a 2' wide strip of dirt along my driveway. Just one spot available 😞

I think that was supposed to be a response for a different post. Not sure how it got on this thread but my phone does odd things with this site.

Okay, thank you all for your replies; I've decided on Golden Panther! Mostly because it seems to be a little more on the orange spectrum, while a Spice Trader looks more yellow. I have several yellows already but no orange, so it will be a nice addition! I also appreciate good form 😉

Depending on where you live, Golden Panther is a rebloomer.