I. pallida variegata question

Several years ago I bought I. pallida variegata from a nursery and was told that it was not a "bearded" iris. When it bloomed and I saw a beard I thought that the woman at the nursery was mistaken or confused with the Louisiana Iris (?) Anyway, I just saw I. pallida for sale on the internet and it was classified as a "beardless" iris even though the picture clearly showed a beard. Does anyone know why?

Claire

I can't imagine why anyone would claim pallida is anything but a bearded iris, since that's exactly what it is. Iris 'Pallida Variegata' is registered as a tall bearded.

Laurie

Thanks laurief. I tend to go by the creed, "If it looks like a ___, and acts like a ___, then it IS a ___! But it's nice to know that it's also registered as a TB. I also remember the lady at the nursery saying something about it being a species iris. What does that mean?

Claire

sometimes the people at the nurseries are summer help and really don't know much. When you ask them to help you find a peony and they start looking at the delphiniums, that's a sign! "LOL!":) (This actually happened!) Over the years I have learned that getting a good reference book and doing some research is the best way to go. It's a good way to learn and you know the information is correct. I'm not saying that all nursery help is that way but after gardening for over 15 years, you can tell if you're dealing with inexperienced summer help vs. an expert.

Claire,

I'm in over my head trying to define "species" for you, but here's my vague and possibly incorrect understanding. A species iris is one that is true to a single original species, without having been hybrid with other iris species. The hybrid bearded cultivars (TB, MTB, BB, IB, SDB, MDB) have all been created from the mixing of genes of a number of different bearded species through the millennia. Pallida is one of the species irises that contributed heavily (but certainly not exclusively) to the development of modern TB cultivars.

Laurie

Thanks anahi and laurief. That's so true, anahi. All the plants I bought 4 years ago when I first started gardening were ones that I chose based on the information the nursery gave me. Most of them are long gone now! LOL And all I needed to keep them alive was correct information. Doing research on my own has made all the difference with the plants I have now. But I still need to get a good reference book so I don't have to search the internet for every piece of info I need.

Laurief, your definition makes sense and sounds familiar. The nursery lady may have told me the same thing but it went in one ear and out the other. If she did my brain was probably still stuck on, "Why is she telling me this doesn't have a beard even though I'm looking straight at the beard?" So would the species irises be the ones that have the I. in front of the names? Like I. pallida and possibly I. germanica? Before I ask any more questions I think I need to get myself a good reference book...

Claire

are you even sure its iris vargatia its a species and come from different parts of world, generaly is listed with finders name i have some i got from signa A iris seed exchange yrs. ago its iris varigatia (rudolf] spelling may be off I can ck, for you if intrested ?

Thanks, tazzy, but I'm sure it's a variegata. ;)

Claire