Last year I went on a trip around coastal Newfoundland searching for interesting colour forms of I. hookeri (aka setosa ssp. canadensis). To my disappointment they are remarkably consistent (unlike versicolor). However, I did find 2 interesting ones. First I'll show the typical form.
Here is a pale lavender form with very wide falls.
and a typical blue with more distincy white veins...sort of like versicolor 'Between the Lines'
Last year I crossed the typical hookeri with I. siberica 'Alba'. Here is the sibtosa (right) next to the hookeri (left)
The hybrid is exactly the colour of hookeri but so much fuller in form...it now has standards you can see! Here is the full plant. The plant is about 22" tall with the flowers held high above the foliage. The spring foliage is yellow! I don't know if my soil is at fault but the sibericas and hookeri are green enough, yet the hybrid was yelow. The foliage is only now starting to turn green. The result is a strong contrast between the blue flowers and the chartruese foliage. Foliage itself is wider than either parent...more akin to versicolor. As my first attempt at wide-crossing, I would appreciate feedback. I have a hookeri X Moonsilk cross starting to bud and it looks as though it will be blue as well. Guess blue is dominant over pale colours. Just starting to bud is hookeri X Silver Edge. It is going to be very late as the buds are still well within the leaves.
Maybe not to everyone, but I think this is quite interesting. Species variation has always been that to me, and I will often grow things from a different geographic location just to see what they will be like. (But there is aways the possibility of pitching it after that.) I have wild Iris setosa from the Kenai peninsula of Alaska, and it has purple pods! Could be partly the heat and water stress, we'll have to see as this is only the first season.
I think this is very interesting also.
I like the contrast of the yellow foliage, but don't know in the parentage where it would come from. On the other hand, I don't know why it would be yellow if the siberians were green.
I have iris with yellow foliage, and blue, violet or yellow flowers, and they are striking. Their habit is to green up around this time of year also. Mine are pseudatas, and a robusta with very purple foliage in the spring.
Your flowers are lovely, and I think you're doing great work. Please continue to let us know how they develop.
This message was edited Jun 28, 2007 8:29 PM
Great work, Todd!! Can't wait for more pics. I can see why you picked the lavender form!! Very excited here!!
