Iris Changed Color???Help!!!!!!

18 years ago

I had... a clump of irises that bloomed peach last year. I also have some white planted next to them but they didn't bloom.

My sister inherited some irises when she bought her house so I dug some up 3 years ago after they bloomed.

Last year when they bloomed, I got lots of beautiful ruffled peach color (these only get maybe a foot or 2 tall) and a few all white ones in this area. I didn't get pictures last year,so I have been anxiously awaiting their bloom this year.

I was so upset when they bloomed a very light lavender almost a white. What happened to my white and peach irises?

I have some purple ones but I planted them a good 30 feet from these. Because "my mother" said all irises eventually turn purple if planted to close to the purple.

I thought no way I see all colors of iris planted together all the time. She has to be wrong.

Now my White and Peach are turning purple. Will they get a darker purple each year? is there some way I can get them back to Peach or White?

Has this happened to anyone else? Or did my mother just curse me?

Am I doomed to only have shades of purple irises?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

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Comments (5)

laurief_gw
18 years ago
If you check the FAQs (link at top of forum page), you will find one that discusses the "my irises changed color" issue. There are a number of circumstances that may give the impression that irises have changed color, but the bottom line is that irises do NOT actually change color. You'll understand what I mean when you read the FAQs.

Laurie
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
18 years ago
I read the FAQ and am not sure which one might be the reason for the iris in the pic below. The light colored one (shown just a bit at the right) I purchased, and it had been bred locally. Then one season this beautiful purple appeared in the clump. I'm no longer concerned with how it happened to be there as I love them both and aim to get them separated once they bloom. Sorry to say, they have been neglected for years now, and I may not even see blooms this season. I guess I just need to dig, divide, and keep them all, to be assured I will have at least one rhizome of each color next season.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:48586}}
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shapiro
18 years ago
Dear Chemo: The pretty purple looks a LOT like "Dusky Challenger" - one of the most popular irises around. The pink is nice too although I don't know the name. Does anyone else want to try to guess?
timberohio
Original Author
18 years ago
Whew!!! glad to know Mom isn't right on this one.

I have marked the new irises and will move them when the blooms die.

I'm still holding out hope that I'll at least get one bloom from my beautiful peach. No signs of a bud yet though.

That is a beautiful purple.
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
18 years ago
Dear Chemo: The pretty purple looks a LOT like "Dusky Challenger" - one of the most popular irises around. The pink is nice too although I don't know the name.

Those irises were all from a few rhizomes I purchased locally...it was one variety that was bred locally. The one I 'bought' was the pink one, and then the dark one just appeared one season. I always kind of thought maybe it was not stable or something, and that the rhizome had reverted back to something 'original'. I guess that must not be the case though, according to the FAQ here.
Someday while I'm in town, I may try and catch the woman who hybridized it, and see if she knows its parentage....just for fun.

Sue