TB: Shadowood survivors - LONG

Laurie, I found what you posted about survivors---and bloom!---very
interesting from a genetic point of view.

In the early days of iris growing in Idaho and elsewhere where the winters
often could be harsh, the "California Blues" were notoriously difficult to
grow because of winter losses.

Those that qualified as "California Blues" weren't all blue.  Many whites
were included as well.

The irises so classed were heavy to *I. mesopotamica* ancestry and weak in
or lacking *I. variegata* or a preponderance of *pallida* in their
pedigrees.  That is hardly surprising, as *variegata* would not be expected
in a blue pedigree short in length from the ancestral species, and the
qualities inherited from *pallida* in those who had a predominance of its
genetics did not have the big, full appearance, nor the superior candelabra
branching of the new tetraploids.

In more advanced pedigrees, other sources of genetic potential penetrated
the high-quality blue and white pedigrees, including probable *aphylla,*
more hardy *pallida* and less of the tender Asiatic tetraploid ancestry, and
sheer selection for hardiness.

I think the problem with the *mesopotamica* varieties is the cycle of growth
and how it responds to temperature rather than to season or solar cycles.
The northern ones go dormant in winter.  The *mesopotamica* types and the
early hybrids grew in response to moisture and light, even in low but
above-freezing temperatures, and did not go into a cycle of shut-down growth
as the days got shorter.

In our current market, we are anywhere up to twenty-eight generations away
from the wild ancestors, if I have counted rightly.  In any event, the pot
has been stirred to the point where hardy winter-dormant types can occur in
any color, and tender, winter-growing whenever the conditions allow, can
also occur in any color.

Conditions such as you have in northern central MN are very hard or fatal
quickly to those with the *mesopotamica* growth genetics, and favor the
*pallida-variegata-aphylla*--etc. winter dormant grown cycle genetics.

The same problem in our mountain south area results in plants that live but
lose their bloom far too often during winter.

Your list quickly identifies which have the survivor "northern" genetics.
Very valuable indeed for the breeder interested in Northern performance!

Neil Mogensen  z 7  Reg 4  western NC mountains

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