SDB: Unknown iris seen in Chicago


Hi everyone!

This Saturday while visiting my family out in Muncie, IN we day-tripped to
Chicago to the Art Institute and the Chicago Botanical Garden.  I found an
iris identical to one in my garden in the English Walled Garden at the
Botanical Garden.  It was labeled I. pallida and planted alongside herbs
including lamb's ears, lady's mantle and artemisia.  This particular iris
has greyish blue standards (fairly light--like an overcast but light sky)
with maroon spots on the falls bordered in the same greyish blue.  There are
some yellow tones in the grey-blue and the beards are grey-blue.  When the
maroon spots are looking velvety this is a very attractive iris, in a subtle
way, but after nasty weather if the spots are damaged it's not eye-catching.
It seems to look best planted with subtle, greyish plants so I've moved it
so it will be near some lambs ears and I'm planning to put in some
frittilaria meleagris this fall.  Does anyone have a name for this other
than just I. pallida?  Jack Norrick said it sounded a lot more like a pumila
to him, but it stands about 10" to 12" high.  It's growing beautifully and
has a lot of increase since last year.  Can anyone help name this?  Maybe
one of you living in Chicago could see what I'm talking about...  it's in
bloom right now against a low wall near the small pond in the English garden.

Heather Bruhn
********************************
Paul L. Bruhn            plb123@psu.edu            Heather McCune Bruhn
State College, Pennsylvania, zone 5 (almost zone 6 but not quite!)




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