Bearded Irises
Tall Bearded, Intermediate Bearded, Border Bearded, & Arilbred Irises
(Marky Smith, 2005), SDB, 12" (30 cm), early bloom.
Standards medium blue-violet; style arms grayer sides, blue midrib and crest; falls same as styles, darker around beard; beards cream at end, yellow in middle, yellow orange in throat; ruffled; pronounced sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2009.
(George Sutton, 2003), MDB, 5" (13 cm). very early to early midseason bloom and rebloom.
Standards chartreuse yellow, blue white inner surface; style arms blended chartreuse and blue; falls white, light blue veining; beards chartreuse, medium blue base; waved; slight spicy fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2007.
(Brad Kasperek, 1998), TB, 38", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards light wistaria blue, silver white streaks; style arms violet blue; falls rich royal blue, silver white streaks; beards orange, hairs tipped blue; broken color pattern; ruffled; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2002, Award of Merit 2004, Wister Medal 2008.
(Jack Worel, 2003), BB, 25", early to midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards style arms and Falls light cream ground with irregular purple blotches and specks; standards with yellow at base extending on margin 1/3 distance upward, continuing as yellow marginal tinge; falls similar, yellow slightly more pronounced and extending halfway, continuing as yellow tinge; beards yellow, slightly darker in throat; slight sweet fragrance.
(David Toth, 2020), TB, 30", midseason to late bloom, broken color, space age.
Standards honey yellow, streaked slightly darker; style arms honey yellow; falls white base, streaked heavily with shades from honey yellow to golden tan; beards honey yellow, large long white flounces and spoons heavily streaked from honey yellow to golden tan; slight spicy fragrance.
Favorite Guest Iris 2022. Honorable Mention 2024.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Ava Toth, 2021), SDB, 14", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards honey yellow, few very light purple blotches or veining; style arms honey yellow; falls splattered mix of white, orange marmalade, golden tan, and some violet flecks; beards golden orange in throat and middle, ends violet.
(David Toth, 2019), TB, 34", early bloom, broken color.
Standards and style arms cocoa brown; falls white, erratic streaking, splashes and dotting from bright purple to near black-purple; beards based purple, tips orange, ¾˝ fuzzy purple horns; slight spicy fragrance.
(Brad Kasperek, 1994), TB, 36", midseason bloom, broken color.
Raspberry cream ground with red purple and purple splashes; beards deep orange; ruffled.
Honorable Mention 1997, Award of Merit 1999.
(Michael Sutton, 2014), TB, 34", midseason to late bloom.
Standards butter yellow, white veining; style arms yellow; falls red-violet, ½˝ ruby red band, golden brown edges; beards yellow, red-violet and golden brown feathery flounces or fuzzy horns; slight spicy fragrance; ruffled and serrated.
(Keith Chadwick, 2001), TB, 34", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards light yellow, maroon plum splotches; style arms maroon and yellow; falls yellow, maroon plum splotches; beards orange; slight sweet fragrance.
Photo by Elladan at The American Iris Society.
(Thomas Johnson, 2017), SDB, 15", midseason to late bloom.
Standards warm pink, slight yellow influence; style arms warm pink; falls same, lighter below beard; beards deep fully saturated blue.
Honorable Mention 2019; Award of Merit 2021.
(Paul Black, 2010), SDB, 15", midseason late bloom.
Standards and style arms white; falls white, large irregularly blended inky dark-blue spot, white darts in throat; beards white; pronounced sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2012, Award of Merit 2014, Cook Douglas Medal 2016.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Brad Kasperek, 2001), TB, 36", early midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards peach blend of yellow orange and orange, light streaking; style arms orange; falls red orange streaked silver white in center becoming yellow orange around edges; beards tangerine orange; ruffled, broken color; slight fragrance.
Photo by Delane Langton at Eagle Ridge Iris Gardens.
(Tom Burseen, 1999), TB, 36", midseason bloom.
Standards pure white; falls white, with purple lines darkest at beard and lighter at edge; beards carrot red, fuzzy white horn with tan hairs at tip.
(Lucille Pinkston, 1996), TB, 36", midseason to late bloom.
Standards and style arms white; falls rusty brown, washed gold, white ray pattern from beard area, yellow halo, white wire rim; beards light yellow, deeper in throat; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 1999; Award of Merit 2001.
(John Painter, 2008), TB, 36", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards white touched tan at base; style arms white, hint of tan at crest; falls lavender purple streaked and splashed white, mottled white around beards, edge lightens to tan lavender; beards coral red, white at end.
(Thomas Johnson, 2011), TB, 36", late bloom.
Standards clean white, edged with narrow gold halo; style arms white, gold edged crests; falls white overlaid by dark purple lines which become solid purple at lower edges, wide yellow hafts and bands; beards golden yellow; ruffled; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2014
(Allan Ensminger by G. Bare, 1989), TB, 34" (86 cm), early midseason bloom and rebloom, broken color.
Standards pink, streaked purple and mauve; falls pink, streaked and splashed purple and mauve; orange red beard; pronounced sweet fragrance.
(George Sutton, 2006), TB, 36", early to late bloom, broken color.
Standards and falls purple black, irregularly streaked silver; style arms purple black; beards black purple tipped old gold; ruffled; slight sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2011.
(Brad Kasperek, 2009), IB, 20", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards and style arms golden-yellow tan, streaked muted red-purple; falls deeper golden-yellow tan, darker red-purple streaking and splashing; beards lemon yellow; lightly ruffled, slight fragrance.
(Marky Smith, 2003), SDB, 12" tall, early to late bloom.
Standards pure yellow, greener at midrib, style arms darker yellow, falls smoky yellow, bright yellow distal edge, beards vermilion to red, ruffled.
(Donald Spoon, 2003), TB, 35", midseason to late bloom.
Standards and style arms raspberry pink; falls darker raspberry pink, central zone veined dark plum; beards tangerine; ruffled, lightly laced; slight sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2005.
(Jack Worel, 2008), TB, 37" , midseason bloom, space age.
Standards, style arms and falls soft yellow (RHS 10C); beards orange, yellow at end, purple horns usually ending in small feathered yellow spoons; slight sweet fragrance.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(George Sutton, 2000), MDB, 5", early through late bloom season + rebloom.
Standards white ground, chrome yellow edge, yellow midrib, lavender blue washing and stippling; style arms chrome yellow; falls white washed yellow, chrome yellow edge, burgundy stitching; beards lavender blue, orange deep in throat; ruffled; slight sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2006; Award of Merit 2008
(Robert Skaggs, 2017), SDB, 12" tall, midseason to late bloom.
Standards yellow, chartreuse center, wide violet edge, falls light yellow, chartreuse spot, beards orange in throat, light blue in middle, ends violet, ruffled, sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2021.
(Paul Black, 2002), 13", late bloom.
Standards and style arms blue white; falls blue black, precise 1/8" blue white band, beard with white starburst alongside and dart at end; beards heavy, blue white to violet white, gold in throat; ruffled; slight musky fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2004; Award of Merit 2006; Cook-Douglas Medal 2009.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Thomas Johnson, 2013), TB, 40", midseason bloom.
Standards white, apricot flush up midrib; style arms white; falls burnt orange; beards tangerine; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2016; Award of Merit 2019.
(Michael Sutton, 2005), TB, 34", late midseason bloom.
White self, Standards palest lavender at base; beards white tipped yellow, white flounces; heavily ruffled; slight sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2010.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Michael Sutton, 2020), TB, 36", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards bluebird blue, streaked and splashed white, thin red-violet wire rim; style arms bluebird blue, white streaks; falls purple, streaked and splashed pure white; beards yellow; slight spicy fragrance.
(Paul Black, 2006), SDB, 12", late midseason bloom.
Standards medium hot pink; style arms hot pink; falls medium hot pink slightly lighter than Standards, cocoa pink veins on haft, plicata sanded hot pink between; beards white tipped hot coral pink; slight musky fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2008, Award of Merit 2011.
(Brad Kasperek, 2001), TB, 36", midseason bloom, broken color.
Tan background, slightly deeper netted overlay, inclusion of light yellow and warm lavender; falls with additional random red grape highlights; beards light tan orange; ruffled; slight fragrance.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Brad Kasperek, 2006), TB, 37", early midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards and style arms light clear yellow, muted light yellow streaking; falls same, random red-purple marks on shoulders; beards yellow; moderately ruffled; broken color; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2008
(Keith Keppel, 2008), TB, 40", late midseason bloom.
Standards cream to pale yellow, central area lemon yellow; style arms lemon yellow to cream, faint orchid cast above lip; falls lemon yellow upper area, reticulated, warm white below beard shading to wide pleroma violet band with liver brown outer band, narrow sorghum brown outer edge; beards deep chrome yellow.
Honorable Mention 2011.
(Donald Spoon, 2000), BB, height 26", midseason bloom, broken color.
White ground, splashed deep raspberry and infused light pink, broken color pattern; style arms light pink; beards pink tangerine, white at end and tangerine cherry in throat; ruffled; slight sweet fragrance.
(Richard Tasco, 2019), TB, 41", midseason bloom.
Standards diamond dusted apricot, some light plum dots at extreme base of midribs; style arms Spanish orange, darker at bottom sides; falls peach-white ground heavily veined violet-purple, apricot rim; beards capsicum red; lightly ruffled; moderately sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2021.
(Tom Burseen, 2011), TB, 35 (89 cm), midseason bloom.
Standards creamy pink; style arms champagne pink; falls honeysuckle, peach hafts and washed edges; beards fire red, feathered cream horns; looping ruffles; slight spicy fragrance.
Photo: South Jersey Iris
(Robert Skaggs, 2019), SDB, 12" tall, early to midseason bloom.
Standards pastel yellow, edged blue-grey; style arms blue-grey; falls same as standards, white blaze below beard; beards neon blue; pronounced sweet fragrance.
(Thomas Johnson, 2020), MDB, 7.5", early bloom season.
Standards light lime green; style arms green-white; falls lighter than standards, medium green spot and narrow petal edge; beards green-yellow in throat, ends powder blue.
Honorable Mention 2022
(David Toth, 2020), TB, 32", early season bloom, broken color.
Standard very pale yellow; style arms same, pale purple along stigmatic lip; falls very pale yellow, long streaking and blotching of bright royal purple; beards based light purple, tips light yellow; slight spicy fragrance.
Photo by David Toth at Indian Creek Irises.
