Cast of Characters or Mood Swing or.............

This iris was labeled Cast of Characters but it's clearly something else. Do you think that it could be Mood Swing?

HI Doss,

I grew MOOD SWING and that is not MS. MS is more solid in color. (Mood Swing is one of it's parents though). After looking at other photo shots of CAST OF CHARACTERS I think it just might be CAC.

Check out these links/photos:

Photo of Cast of Characters from the Garden Forum:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/iris/hpgal101042264207.jpg

Photo of CAC from the convention in 2002:
http://www.iris-conventions.com/images/2002%20-%20Memphis%20Blues/Cast%20of%20Characters.jpg

Photo of CAC from Iris Photos website (Photo 1):
http://www.hort.net/lists/highlight.cgi?bits=3&search=Cast+of+Characters&URL=iris-photos/may03/msg00294.html#marker

Photo of CAC from Iris Photos website (Photo 2):
http://www.hort.net/lists/highlight.cgi?bits=3&search=Cast+of+Characters&URL=iris-photos/mar04/msg00604.html#marker

Then these 3 photos:

This Photo:

This Cast of Characters Photo:

And This Cast of Characters Photo:

What I'm proposing - - since there is so much variation in this iris depending on where it grows - - and the correct pattern is there - - that I would conclude it is Cast of Characters. After all these photos - Do you think so or not?

And - - all those CAC up there in the previous posts - - should be COC. :-)

Yes............ I guess it's getting late. LOL

~ Margie

Dear Margie - Wow - this iris just changes all over the map. I looked at it in the plantfiles and the stands looked so much the same as the falls. The second iris photos website photo is a dead ringer for the photo posted.

Thanks so much for all of your hard work. It's a beautiful iris and I'm sure glad that I have it. Even better, now I'm sure that it's Cast of Characters in one of it's colorways.

That's pretty cool that Mood Swing is one of it's parents. I was at least close on my other guess - even if I was wrong.

Hmmmmmmm.................... you just may be cut out to be a hybridizer! (giggle)

~ Margie

Sometimes parental genes are pretty strong. Sometimes not so strong... I get lucky once in awhile. LOL

doss~

I'm guessing that flower IS 'Cast of Characters'. I've seen in growing in 3 different gardens, plus I have it in my own. Each time it looks different to me. It seems to really be one that changes colors in different environments. Hope this helps.

Laura

Of course it helps Laura! I really appreciate you taking the time to write and tell me that. I've never seen an light colored iris that varies so much in it's photos. Guess that's part of it's charm.

Actually, I was thinking you're lucky it grows well for you. I doesn't like my wet climate very much. It hasn't rotted, but it's just kind of been sitting there without multiplying for about 2 years now.

Laura

I am lucky. It's going gangbusters. I put it in last fall and it has about 4 fans now.

Laura and doss,

I find about half of Ghio's introductions (that I end up owning) grow very well for me; others may take up to 3 years (like Puccini did) to acclimate and then suddenly increases and grows super; while others slowly dwindle away to "never-never land". :-(

I'm anxious to know - - how it will continue to grow for both of you. I hope it "catches on" for you Laura.

I find it fascinating how this iris changes - sort of like a chameleon. An iris with many faces. LOL Not many iris vary THAT much in it's color.

~ Margie

Yes, Ghio irises can be tricky.

I end up dumping about 1/2 of them because I'm impatient and because I have a lot of other great breeders~Keppel, Black, Schreiner's, Johnson just to name a few~that are close by and whose irises are usually very strong growers in my area.

I've been hanging on to 'Cast of Characters', though. I hope it takes off. I have another Ghio intro, 'Select Circle' that sat there and only sent up on bloom stalk with 3 buds in two years. This year, however, it's already increased to 6 rhizomes and I'm expecting a lot of bloom out of it.

I hope Cast will turn out to be that way and won't just end up disappearing instead.

I'm glad to hear that about "Select Circle". I've had it a number of years............. I love it! I can't remember if it initially grew great or not - - but it sure does grow and increase well now!!

~ Margie

I hope so too. It's a lovely iris. I have Ghio's Bowled Over, Upper Hand and That's All Folks from 2005. Expose isn't doing much. I should go into the garden and see how the others are doing. I had a watering problem this summer - first too much and then too little so I can't really blame the plants.

I did get Cast of Characters from Superstition though and it came as a very large plant.