I have had the experience of having a flower bed containing a mix of bearded iris in a variety of colors that in subsequent years produced only a single color. Recent discussions with other gardeners suggest that they have also had a similar experience. I can't imagine a logical explanation for this phenomenon. Does anyone else have a similar experience? Is there any explanation for this?
Bearded Iris color stability
I have grown hot pepper near some tomato plants.............sometimes the tomatoes are a little spicy..............sounds like the iris syncronize or one variety takes over the whole bed. Did your discussion name the varieties that seem to dominate the others. What color is coming out on top or does it vary? I have not seen this happening with my iris yet.
Brenda
I cannot imagine a genetic explanation so it must be one of culture. I'd be interested in seeing photos.
Brenda, tomatoes cannot cross with peppers. It must be your Latino soil that accounts for the spice. Keep that man out of the garden!
Because this was a rather casual observation that could only be replicated by a complex and time (years) consuming experiment, I don't have good details concerning varieties, etc. I do seem to recall that we had some peach colored ones along with some bi-colors, some bronze and some pale yellows. One year we noticed that all the blooms in the bed were pale yellow. Unfortunately, I have no photos. I agree with MaypopLaurel that it is highly unlikely that there is a genetic explanation. As these iris are perennials, it seems impossible that the different varieties were interacting with each other. I could imagine that the prettiest of the varieties were not so hardy or long lived and thus simply died out, allowing the more vigorous ones to take over. Note that the "roadside iris" seem never to be the dramatic colors varieties!
I don't have the patience to buy a wide variety of colors, inter-plant in the same bed, carefully label each, and wait a few years to see what happens.
Instead, I plan to continue discussions with those who are really into iris culture to learn others' experiences and document or dismiss this phenomenon.
Look here under the "Stress" category. http://www.swcoloradohome.com/articles/gardening/greenthumb03.asp Apparently this is noteable with iris. If all of your iris change color it would point to a common cause. If some changed and others didn't that might indicate sporting; also mentioned. Since iris are commonly hybridized, resulting in continual flood of new cultivars, you could have unstable seed grown hybrids as opposed to those produced by tissue culture. The result is reversion of new growth back to the color dominant seed parent.
Thank you, MaypopLaurel. Pretty interesting confirmation that iris do seem to change colors under certain conditions. We're carefully watching ours for future color changes.