In trying to determine the name of my violet iris, it seems too hard to do from the widely varying photos of some cultivars.

But for Afternoon Delight and Vibrations, I recall the names when my memory was jogged. They were named, I had tags, the tags got lost, faded, . . . but some of them linger in the deep recesses of my memory.

I have lots of named purples. I realize that would be futile to try to attempt online id. But many are more distinctive.

If you keep some records of purchases etc. it is always helpful. Even better is to create a simple map each time you move Iris around, so that if the tags are lost etc. It does not have to be National Geographic quality, just show the relative positions of the Iris to each other...

There are many similar iris, but this is also very regional, as Iris are not evenly distributed. So your best bet may be to visit Iris gardens and growers in your area. Another tact is to bring a flower to an Iris show, someone will be able to recognize it, and there may even be a matching iris entered in the show.

Sometimes it's just not worth it to try to id an iris, as Gottagarden says. I have a few that are just too similar to a million others to even try.
And your photos, Chad, show the other problem. Irises are particularly difficult to get a representational photo of. Nevertheless, it's fun to try to id them. I have tried maps, but I move things too often.

Chad, your seedlings are gorgeous :)

Renee