Best places to buy historic iris

Can someone tell me the best places to buy some historic iris? I'm looking for the really old ones. Thank you everyone!!

HIPS - Historic Iris Preservation Society - they have a yearly fundraiser to promote historics

Winterberry's has a lot - that 's Don and Ginny Spoon's place up in Cross Junction VA

and i've heard that Superstition Gardens has quite a few.



ARGH - my post disappeared again! what's with that- it's happening a lot lately. (((grumble))) had to retype this

Thank you, Bonjon!!!

y' welcome

Stoney Creek Iris has quite a few.

BlueJ Iris has alot of them.

Thank you grannymarsh and grannyh. I'll check them out. I'm crazy about Blyth iris, and Keppel and Ghio.....but there's something about the very old historic iris that I love. I've got to have some of those too. :o) Thanks again.

Probably the largest collection is Argyle Acres in Texas
They are wonderful to work with



http://www.argyleacres.com/

Thank you avmoran!!

I personally have to say Superstition, they have a lot and are great quality........

Speaking of Historics, I've researched this one for two years. I found it in South Dakota near where an old hotel used to be.....
I think it's Flavesence.... any tips, approvals, objections or suggestions? &:-)

another pic

Thanks makj !

I have some I call "similar to flavescens" but they have not
been identified as such. Very pale yellow, weak blossoms
fading to near white after a few days in the sun. Not quite
a match for the description in the HIPS album.

Hi Oldgardenrose, these look very much the same.... how would we find out? I thought of purchasing some and then comparing...

Here is a pic that I borrowed from the HIPS website... I know, I know.... lots of iris look the same, but are not....
but look!

The HIPS description includes some fragrance I do not
recall my irises having. The blossom appears to have
more substance than mine. I have some pics of them
wet and they are nearly transparent.

From what little I know of irises, there can be hundreds
if not thousands of them in circulation without any true
pedigree available.

If you are a member of HIPS, they have an annual sale
of historics giving you first choice. If not a member, the
enrollment rate is something like $24 for 3 years. Well
worth the money.

This is a sample of the difficulty of identifying irises
by photo only. I posted this one on the HIPS 'identi-
fication forum' and had over 100 hits but only one
guess attempt and it was not even really close in
my opinion. As you and others have said, the best
way to id an iris is to buy one of known pedigree
and compare them side-by-side.

Not such a bad fate.... I'll probably end up joining the AIS as well! &:-)

Try here!!! I have never found this site after many searches until this year. He has quite a few and I ordered several from him this year.
deb

bfilardi Website: www.internationaliris.com

Thank you estrail1rider!!

BTW...how old? I am slowly increasing my collection of pre-1940 irises.
Deb

nice web-site, but I wish there were pics of the Historics

As info for those who do not receive the HIPS semi-annual Roots journal, on the
inside cover, page 2, there is a question about changing the designation of pre-
1950 irises to 'heirloom'. Makes a lot of sense to separate the early historics
from the new historics. I have kids born before 1980 and I do not consider them
to be historics.

I love that idea!

oldgardenrose...Yep...I have been hoping we could get this done!! Although...I wish Historic would designate the older ones.

Oldgardenrose.... your kids! ha ha ha!!! good laugh... and how true! &:-)

You can select a 10-year time frame with the HIPS pics and see a definite change from one period to the next. 1930-1940 irises have a distinct appearance of the germanica variants where 1940-1950 begins the same but changes to a more modern appearance of ruffles in the standards and wider falls as you approach 1950.

For the sake of cataloging, I would like to see the pre 1900 irises listed as historics with 1900-1950 listed as heirloom. Until I gained a spare tire, I had clothing older than the so-called historic irises. I still have my military shoe brush from '58.

Feel free to chime in. Good way to while away the days until spring.

for designation purposes, any iris over 30 years old is designated an historic by the AIS.

Which means, this year, we have irises introduced in 1980 being labeled historic.

So, a LOT more than just the 1950s. In fact, most of our "standards" are historics, or soon will be.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1065619

Info for the original question if you missed it the first time around.

I usually get some iris from greenhornvalleyiris.com??? He has old-new and is usually cheap. The garden is located on #25 at Colorado City at KOA campground.