Re: HIST: Polling for Survivors - Pr.Pilkington

Anner,

The comments on 'Pres. Pilkington' might help.  As you say, the HIPS photos
are there, but they don't either one of them look like any Iris I've seen
with either name.  Interesting thing is that whatever the thing is, it is
what almost all of the plants I've bought (and had bloom so far) of either
one have turned out to be.  From your description it is more likely that it
is 'Evolution'.  I've also seen it labelled as 'Copper Lustre' and 'Argus
Pheasant', which it definitely is not.  I have gotten it many times, it has
followed me around for at least 30 years, and I see it now and again all
over the place, usually in a patch where it is totally ignored.  From your
description it is more likely 'Evolution' as it definitely is smallish and
leans toward brown.  The affect from a distance is indeed something akin to
dirty milk chocolate, with the purplish tones often not obvious until the
sun hits them just right or unless you get up close.  When I brought all my
hand-me-downs to the new location in about 1999-2000 I didn't know what was
what nor what had been where, and I just planted Iris all over and waited
till they flowered.  About a third of them (probably dozens of cultivars)
were this one.  They are all in one spot now (at least I think so), and
even though the color is rather drab, it is kind'a pretty when they are all
blooming.

Considering that 'Evolution' is rarely listed as a common hand-me-down or
vacant lot sort of Iris, it was not considered as a likely choice for a
candidate name until the last few years when purchased plants started to
flower, but I've never been really comfortable with 'President Pilkington'
either.

A couple years ago I got a plant labelled as "President Pilkington" that
bloomed out as 'Sindjkha'.  I have one right now that has never flowered
and that has no PBF, pretty surely not it either.  So, I don't think I have
one yet, there is clearly a lot of confusion out there, and I'm still
uncertain what I do have.

I would need to search archives, and don't know the date (maybe a year or
so ago?), but I think Cindy Rivera posted a photo on Iris Photos of what I
have (or one that looks the same) with the question as to whether it was
really 'Copper Lustre' or not.   It may have been as another name though.

Thanks much,

Dave

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