Irisgal, thank you so much for your suggestions! Maybe it is Walking on Air, not 100% sure though... here are some more pictures from this morning:

Wow. Look at that branching! It's a keeper!

Thanks, Irisgal! I looked at some gardener submitted photos of Walking on Air online and I think you are correct with the ID! How exciting to know what this one is. It is my first iris bloom ever, roses and lilies are my usual garden loves.

I had planted 3 lily rhizones over the past few years and this is the only to flower, one next to it is about equal in size bit no flowers yet. That one is supposed to be Cherub's Smile so the pink and blue from this one that was supposed to be Full Tide would play off each other but I happen to love pink and purple together also so the mislable is no big deal.

I planted a Dangerous Mood rhizome from Home Depot this year but I think it was DOA. I do think that coloring looks intriguing so I will probably order another Dangerous Mood online.

Here is another photo to share of my mislabeled iris:

Hi Nummy, have to warn you about HD rhizomes. Not good news. Tremendously mismarked. 'Full Tide' is nice but yours is nicer! Even iris labeled as blue have some red pigment. They are just less lavender :-)

Looked a little harder and here are 2 more to compare to yours. And that's all that seemed close to me.

No Count Blues by hosenemesis

Tall Order at Snowpeak

bump

Ooh thanks, Irisgal! Tall Order looks very close! I don't see the shading of No Count Blues coming through on mine. Mine is just about done blooming, the last flower has opened. Do these bloom again or was that it for the season?

Glad you saw this! Remember to google for more pics of these 2 as they may vary. Cameras and weather! That's why color matching counts for little. No Count's form does seem more ruffled than yours.

That's it for the season unless it's a rebloomer. Now they go into a decline. Exhaustion from producing gorgeous bloom?

Here's another picture of 'No Count Blues' from a different camera in another state. Only the branching will be the same which we can't see.

No Count Blues by Organickitten

Thanks so much for helping me id this one, I think you were right on the first guess with Walking on Air.

What am I supposed to do with the spent blooms and stalk? Let it be or is there a way to deadhead it like a rose?

Also any ideas whathappened to this one? It was also planted as a single rhizome "bulb" in 2014 along with Walking on Air, it was supposed to be Cherub's Smile but has never bloomed so I'm not sure. It looks like a flowering stalk was starting to emerge about a month ago and has not done anything since or grown, like it cancelled the blooms!

Also is it normal to multiply so much from one tiny rhizome with no blooms?

Does each leaf grouping have the potential to make a bloom stalk or does each bloom stalk need multiple leaf groups to support flower growth? Should I divide them?

Thanks so much, Irisgal! Hope you see this!

The flower buds form inside the rhizome the previous year. So your possible Cherub's damage happened, most likely, last year, during formation. Not guaranteed but a strong possibility. Don't know the specific culprit.

Each rhizome has one fan of leaves. Momma rhizome has babies sprouting off her sides and each baby rhizome has one fan. You can scrape away mulch/dirt and see this. Each rhizome (with one fan) is capable of 1 blooming stalk.

Vigorous growers may produce fast growing babies that bloom the following year. Others may produce babies that take 2 years of growth to produce a bloom stalk. After a rhizome has produced its bloom stalk, it will not bloom again but devote itself to producing babies until eventually drying up. (exception: once saw 2 bloom stalks emerge from 1 rhizome - very unusual. I believe it was a rebloomer called Heather Blush).

Since no bloom was produced it's possible that energy was used for multipling. Or it could be a very vigorous cultivar. I've not grown Cherub's Smile - don't know about its vigor.

A bloom stalk does not need multiple leaf groups (fans) to support flower growth.

The usual advice about dividing is 3-5 years. Sometimes I cut thru a clump and remove a portion. That allows uninterrupted blooming. Less shock. If I completely dig up a clump & shake all dirt off the roots, cut apart rhizomes, let them scab in the shade overnight, replant ............... well, often I don't get bloom the next year. That method does allow me to dig in amendments. You will judge when the clump is too big and what works for you. Remember, beardeds do travel.

Ungainly pattern of growth. X marks the ones to be removed.

Thank you so much for sharing your iris knowledge! Wow, so much to learn!

So do you cut off the spent bloom stalk or let it die back naturally? Also I have no idea what to do about fall pruning and have left the leaves as is for the past two years never trimming down but I recently read you should trim the fans down to 6 inches? Is that right? Seems counterproductive. What time of the year do you do that?

Thanks for helping an iris newbie out! ;)

Thanks for your pictures here and my other favorite place! I am being a little more explicit because you're a serious gardener :-))

Some claim you must rip the bloom stalk off at the rhizome. I have never done that. I tried it once and decided no. Instead I cut off under the branching so there is a single stem sticking up in the air and let it die. Then it releases easily from the rhizome. It is strictly a matter of aesthetics. As is trimming leaves. 2 camps --- those who trim and those of us who don't. But I do admit as outer leaves yellow in the summer/fall I cut off the ugly part.

PS: sometimes I label the single piece of stalk and a couple of weeks later go back and check if the old label in the ground needs moving, or expose all the connecting rhizomes to see what's what so I don't get the mess like above neglected clump.

You are so helpful to an iris newbie! I sincerely appreciate your input! I do love my roses and love that forum but I've noticed the other garden forums aren't quite as active.

I remember when I was new to rose gardening and wanted to learn everything and now I see myself wanting to learn more and more about irisis since my one finally bloomed after just leafing out for two years! The iris is a flower I had not been really exposed to and seeing this purple beauty blooming right by my front porch has really piqued my interest in iris gardening. The flowers are so intriate and each petal is like an invitation to stop and study how pretty they are.

Wish I had more room for a huge iris garden but I will find a way to tuck them in amongst the roses ;)