How old for historic?

Is there a time frame to put an iris into the historic cat.?

I suppose those my grandmother had in the early 1900's qualify? Never knew her but her flowers follow after her.

Technically, any iris that is more than 30 yrs old is considered an historic. There has been considerable discussion among irisarians, however, about the need to further classify old irises to differentiate between, say, those that are a hundred yrs old vs. those that are only 30. No conclusions have been reached by the Powers That Be.

Laurie

I've been looking at photos of Dauntless____one that I received this spring and wonder if one Mom had might be one in the same? Hate to post a photo since there are so many so similiar. They could all be gone now anyway.

If you think they might be the same, take rhizomes of both and plant them side-by-side in your garden. It'll be much easier to evaluate them for similarities when they bloom if they're right next to each other.

Laurie

Here is a hint with DAUNTLESS. It has some pbf (purple based foliage at the fan base). Not too many red iris of that era had pbf.
If your iris looks like D and has pbf, good chance that it is correct.
Laetiita

Thanks for the hint, sugar bean. I also have one that came with the house that is similar to Indian Chief, Dauntless, and a couple others. Maybe the same one that you have, Jam, as we are in the same part of the country!

Well no purple at the fan base that I see. Guess that eliminates Dauntless. Thanks for takng a minute. jam

Jam, I have these irises to divide this year, let me know if any of them tempt you: All TB's:
Tall white / historic shorter pale cream / "grape-koolaid" historic / bright yellow / pink pincurls (tannish - salmonish pink with tightly frilled edges) / Solo flight (very nice, a must have, two tone blue-violet) / dark purple -black / and of course, the two tone red-violet noid that is probably the same that you have...
Sharon

Jam, I looked closely at the one I have that looks like Dauntless, and it does have a faint violet wash at the base. Maybe yours does too if you look a little more closely!