ID and info help please

I brought some iris home last year from my daughters new house. We never saw them bloom so I didn't know what all I had. For some reason I think I remembered that there where some light blues so that was what I was expecting. This beauty is what I have blooming so far and a slightly larger white one. I was wondering if anyone could ID this for me and give me any interesting info on it. Daughter told me she didn't like and wasn't interested in any iris so I was to take them all. She was down here today and saw the blooms, I think she maybe changing her mind. She mentioned she might have been a bit hasty in making that decision.

I know what she means. I didn't used to like iris because the only ones I'd ever seen were really ugly ones at my grandmothers when I was a little kid.

Now, there are so many beautiful and bright colors and combinations........... it makes a person stop and realize what a beautiful and stately flower the iris really is. (don't want to admit it, but it could also be that I'm older now.... and appreciate the beauty of nature more too. LOL )

I have no idea what that is, but it surely is a pretty one. Thanks for sharing the beautiful picture with us.

It looks like Wabash.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/36921/index.html

Gonzomamma, Thank you for the ID. The description matches perfectly, slightly smaller. Plus the picture is dead on.
Peggie, I think the problem with my daughter was more that they had already bloomed, so they didn't look like much at the time she bought the house. Since I didn't have any Iris in my gardens she really didn't know what they looked like. Now that she does she is re thinking her decision to pull them all. This is her first house so now she is getting interested in gardening. Your right about age changing how you look at plants, too. Plus I think this DG site has really opened my eyes, looking at the plants and flowers here has widened my interests as well.

Check for PBF, purple-based foliage. Wabash has it, Bright Hour does not.

look in plantfiles at Mildred Presby

Thank you all for several choices, It's hard to tell Wabash, looks right and the description mentioned that it was slightly smaller which sounds right but I don't see the PBF. I took a quick look at the other two and they look right, too. I'll be taking a longer look at all three and see it I can decide. But with your suggestions I can at least describe it as looking like a Wabash or one of the others. A better description than just purple and white. These are really beautiful flowers. Thanks for the help and here is another shot, some more of the blooms are opening up.

pictured my Mildred Presby in bloom this year

Ann,
I have one that looks just like yours. Got it from a neighbour who said it's in the shade and does not bloom. Here it is.
Will be watching the thread to see if you figure out the name. It is really nice with crisp white against the deep purple with a thin white rim on the falls (just learning the vocabulary).

Found this link http://www.worldiris.com/public_html/GBU/GBU.html.

Although flowers are quite similar they are not the same for Wabash and
Bright Hour - the falls on Wabash are narrower.

Mildred Presby http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/102130/ seems to have
just a touch of purple on the standards.

This message was edited May 24, 2007 1:02 PM

Jackieshar:
That is not Mildred Presby. Here is the correct MP.
Laetitia

Mine has PBF and matches the rest of the description. What a tricky matter identifying plants. I'll check with the lady who gave it to me as to it's history.


Laetitia,
What differences in your picture and that of jackieshar made you come to this conclusion? I am learning to describe the plants and would appreciate you sharing the details that you payed attention to.

I really like the purple and white with a touch of yellow color combination of the flowers posted in this thread. I think, it would be really fun to see flowers that look a like at first glance and discuss how they are different. Some differences are variation within the hibrid and some are distictive enough to grant it it's own name.

enya:
MILDRED PRESBY is a small iris. Look at the falls on my picture. They show heavy regular white veining on a solid maroon background with small roundish falls. Jackie's picture shows a larger iris with long falls, a distinctly heavy border of white, and a blended maroon background. Notice there is brown in the shoulders of Jackies iris. Also look at the standards. The real MP has white standards with a wire rim edge and has some yellow creeping up them. Jackies iris standards are not white, but somewhat tinted greyed lavender
Unfortunately every picture in the Gallery at Daves under MILDRED PRESBY is wrong!
Here is another picture. Maybe this one shows the differences better.
The more you look at them the better you get at discerning the differences.
Laetitia

Laeticia, thank you for the wonderful pic of Mildred Presby. We all buy iris and hope they are right, but we can't be sure if the iris is correctly named. Such a problem!

Thank you for the great description of MP and pointers for comparing the flowers. It experience to see the differences like that. What an educational discussion it turned out to be.

Its so great that we can have a place like this forum to share pictures of what we 'think' are different cultivars so we can try to straighten out the names. Historics have gotten so mixed up over the years, that you never know if they are correct or not. I have gotten so many incorrect ones from reputable growers.
Laetitai

Sugarbean1,
I do hope you will put your picture in Plant Files. That way at least one will be correct.

When looking at several of the Iris in the Plantfiles, the pictures shown are often different colors ever, as well as with the Daylilies...I have noticed. I looked at the Wabash photos and there were certainly at least two totally different flowers pictured as Wabash...

Thank you Laetitia for the correction. I was traded this plant last year from an experienced DGer and just assumed it to be correctly named. I can see that your description is much more accurate. This iris, however, IS a small bloom, much more so than my other TBs. I guess it just photoed larger...The picture you posted is quite beautiful and indeed different from what ever it is I have.

:>)........looks like now both Holly and I will be looking for a name........

I always appreciate info from our more experienced friends......
Thanks,
Jackie.

What a can of worms IDing Irises can be. I still don't know what iris I have but I love this discussion. I may have to visit the Iris forum more often since I will be getting even more Irises. My DIL's mother planted a huge Iris bed several years ago and is going to divide them this year. I have dibs on the extras. She probably has about 30 different kinds. Thanks this discussion was a real eye opener and has been very informative. Holly

Hi Guys just a note to be careful about identifying with pictures always best to get what you think your iris is and grow it next to it a couple of years to be sure
here is an example

You would think someone selling would have the correct picture of an iris
this picture is almost identical to that Schreiner had posted

http://goodthymesgardens.com/pro398678.html

The one attached is the real AMAS that I got from ARGYLE ACRES who are known for their historics.

Looks close doesn't it
this is actually Amigo

Just a word of caution Do I think it is wabash yep probably am I sure
nope

:)
ok I'll be quiet

Sorry just one more thing here is Wabash blooming for me
LOL

Looks like someone "popped" the blues on that Amas. Yours is lovely as it is....

avmoran,
Very interesting comparison! How do you tell Amigo and Amas apart then?
These two have a much closer resemblance.

OK Amigo is an MTB or considered so, it is shorter than either Amas or Wabash which are TBs and the falls are more the color of Wabash but a little darker
Amas is hafty (large area of lines on shoulders and hafts) and has no line around falls violet standards
Wabash is the epitome of an ameona in that the standards are beautiful pure white except at the base and the white around the fall is distinct and has no bluring.
Once you grow Wabash you will not confuse it with any other iris it truely is a great iris and people still use it in hybridizing today.

To HollyAnnS - I have Wabash and agree with the others who said yours looks like Wabash.

I love this discussion! Now the terminology (hafts and such) come to live and to use in describing the flowers. I can go back to the beginning of the thread and describe the flowers so much better.

I almost wish someone would come up with another mystery with maskery in iris identification :)

Yes Enya, I agree, Since I know nothing about Irises this has been very interesting. I heard someone describe the falls as those hangy down petals, just the other day. That would have been my description until I started this thread. I think I will do a little iris research and learn more of the terminology. Or maybe I'll just lurk in the Iris Forum for a while.

I love following id threads though tend to keep quiet. This one turned out to be such a mistery thrill. I'll definitely lurk in Iris forum looking for the next call to help ID an iris.