Photo IDing

IDing Iris from a photo

I am asked almost every year to identify an iris from a photo! At the end of this article is a pictorial of why it is almost impossible to do so

There are reasons pictures on computer monitor can show the exact same picture and be different in color and intensity of color in every one.There have been times I would not have believed what I was seeing on other’s monitors had I not taken a CD with some iris pictures on them to a friend that owns and repairs computers. There was a huge difference from one computer monitor to another.

Now let’s get to the growing conditions. Your soil PH will affect the color and/or density of color of the iris. Fertilizers,, the amount of water, rather you are on the East or West coast or in the coldest to hottest weather will also effect the color, height and various other distinguishing characteristics of an iris. Amount of lime used as well.

The most reveling is the time of the day, the amount of sun or the lack of sun, the setting on the camera, if you have somehow gotten your white balance on the camera and not noticed it as this will cause the color to be off super big time. Blues and purples are the hardest to take a correct photo with even a film camera. An iris to the naked eye looks sky blue but take a picture with any camera and it will be a different color with all of them. There is also the effect the photographer themselves can have on a camera. None of us are professional and as hard as we try to get the best photograph as possible there are differences with what we see and what the camera sees and takes a picture of, it is the nature of the game.

If you like the flower blooming in your garden keep it and enjoy it. But if you want to sell or trade with others label it as a NOID (no identification) with the color and a number you have made up such as

NOID #! S white, F pink, B red TB? Or better yet height
NOID #2 S Pink, F white B white SDB? Or better yet height

To sell to the public an iris that is improperly named can cause a MAJOR problem in the future as we can lose the true iris because people said it looked like such and such. How many of you have bought Mart or Depot irises to then have them bloom incorrectly. This is because these pre-packaged dried irises are sold wholesale by color and the wholesalers slap a name on them knowing they are incorrect. If you are not interested in names don’t worry about them. If you are worried about having named irises then purchase them from a reliable grower..

For those of you who truly want to do the right thing and have the time then here are a few clues. Get suggestions of what your iris might be, check them out on PLANT FILES here on DG then buy those that most closely resembles your iris and plant them near the unknown. Now you have growing conditions the same, they should bloom the same time, same height with same foliage coloration and all the little things that make the named iris special to its hybidizer. One of the best samples that you should look at is DUSKY CHALLENGER as there are 14 iris there, notice all the different colorations yet it is one and the same iris.

The other problem is that many of our iris friends here on DG are trying to hybridize and if you can not track all the parents it can be harder to do so. Now not saying that there are some “To Die For Iris” than we know one parent but not the other and a good example is Barry Blyth’s iris WHO’S YOUR DADDY?!

Now here are the samples this is all the same flower, taken different days, different times of the day.

I hope that his article is used as what it is meant to be used as, a tool

Thank you and hope you enjoy the article.

Denise

2nd picture same flower

3rd picture same flower

4th picture same flower

5th picture same flower

6th picture same flower

Photos used with permission of one of the DG members and I think her as all I had was the iris with just three different pictures yet looking so different.

Thank you and help this helps

D

Good info, Dee!

One of the siberian irises Caesars Brother is totally lost in commerce, because of exactly what you said. People trading and selling irises they are not precisely sure of the name. It is believed the real Caesars Brother is no longer in existance due to this. So very sad.

And I would like to add, if you buy irises, check the AIS registry to see if they match the description before you pass them along as whatever the name is you received them under. Japanese irises recently have had a huge influx of no named irises from the Dutch growers that are just any irises they want to get rid of, given a name, like Pink Lady, Geisha Girl, etc. If you don't belong to AIS the Japanese irises can be looked up on the website for the Japanese Iris Society, under member information. Unless it's a 2008 or 8 intro., it will be there, along with a description.

But even if you get irises from a reputable grower, check the description before passing them along. Mistakes can happen. I've only ever had a couple in bearded, as I always buy from the grower, but sometimes one iris can grow into the next, and the grower might get a piece of the wrong one by mistake. Happens seldom, but it does happen. So let's do our best to keep these irises true to name.

Thank you Polly about CB, I no longer carry it as I felt that it was not as it should be. Did not know at all that most in commerce today is probably not CB'

D

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