Bearded Irises
Tall Bearded, Intermediate Bearded, Border Bearded, & Arilbred Irises
(David Toth, 2017), TB, 36", early bloom, broken color.
Standards creamy buff, heavily streaked and splashed light purple; style arms creamy buff, streaked light purple; falls pale lemon yellow, streaked and splashed light purple; beards tangerine; slight musky fragrance.
Photo taken by David Toth at Indian Creek Iris Gardens
(Donald Spoon, 2003), SDB, 10" (25 cm), early to midseason bloom and re-bloom.
Standards white, base golden yellow; style arms white and golden yellow; Falls white, golden yellow haft, red maroon spot edged golden yellow; beards white, hairs tipped golden yellow orange; ruffled; slight sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2006.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(David Toth, 2020), TB, 30", early bloom season, broken color.
Standards pale yellow, style arms same, hint of red along stigma; falls very pale yellow near white, long streaks and splotches of dark red-purple; beards light yellow, slightly darker at tips.
Photo by David Toth at Indian Creek Irises.
(Michael Sutton, 2009), IB, 20” (51 cm), early midseason bloom and rebloom.
Standards yellow ground heavily washed burgundy; style arms burgundy; Falls white and yellow ground dotted and edged burgundy, small lavender arrow at end of old gold beards; slight sweet fragrance.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Thomas Johnson, 2010), SDB, 11", midseason to late bloom season, broken color.
Late midseason bloom. Standards light olive irregularly splashed dark violet; style arms brassy olive; falls light olive, slate violet center, irregularly marked plum, gold hafts; beards dark gold, plush.
(Paul Black, 2020), TB, 34", early to late bloom, broken color.
Standards white, randomly splashed with large segments of light lilac; style arms white, random light lilac splashes; falls white, hafts lined dark purple, remainder of petal streaked and splashed mid-dark orchid; beard hairs based white, tips mid tan; slight spicy fragrance.
Honorable Mentions 2022.
(David Toth, 2017), TB, 34", early bloom, broken color.
Standards and style arms orange-yellow; falls lemon yellow, heavy burnt orange streaks; beard hairs based orange-yellow, tips orange, short maroon horns ¼˝ to ³⁄₈˝ long.
Honorable Mention 2022
Photo by David Toth at Indian Creek Irises.
(David Toth, 2019) TB, 34", early bloom, broken color.
Standards pink midrib blending outward to bright yellow; style arms bright yellow with pink tones; falls light pink splashed and streaked burgundy, bright yellow rim; beards orange.
Honorable Mention 2022; Favorite Guest 2023.
Photos: Andrew Brownfield
(Keith Keppel, 2003), SDB, 13", midseason bloom.
Standards blue-white heavily washed cream, darkest toward midrib; style arms cream to pale yellow, lip lavender; falls oyster, deeper washed spot; beards blue at end to white, hairs tipped orange in throat.
(Michael Sutton, 2005), TB, 36", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards rose violet streaked and marbled white; style arms rose violet; falls plush maroon, streaked silver white; beards yellow, rose violet petaloids streaked white; pronounced spicy fragrance.
(Nancy Price, 2005), SDB, 12", midseason bloom.
Standards light yellow; style arms light yellow, blue midrib; falls light yellow covered by large brown ray extending down from beard; beards blue, tipped yellow in throat.
(David Toth, 2019), TB, 32", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards maroon-red streaked and splashed mustard yellow; style arms maroon-red streaked mustard yellow; falls same as standards; beards base maroon-red, tips gold, 2˝ frilly maroon-red spoons; slight musky fragrance.
Photos: Andrew Brownfield
(Paul Black, 2009), SDB, 14", early midseason bloom.
Standards dark beetroot, minimal butter plicata ground beside midrib; style arms butter, medium magenta midrib, beetroot crest; falls butter cream, heavy medium-dark beetroot plicata veins and sanding over haft becoming 3/4" medium beetroot plicata band on lower half of petal; beards white tipped greyed orange; ruffled; slight spicy fragrance.
(Michael Sutton, 2019), MDB, 7" (18 cm), early to midseason bloom.
Standards white, green midribs; style arms white; falls same, yellow-green shoulders, blue-violet thumbprint; beards yellow.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Paul Black, 2007), TB, 32" (81 cm), midseason to late bloom.
Standards buff peach infused medium purple up midrib; style arms buff peach; falls dark wine, thin paler rim, dark wine veins over buff ground around dark orange beards, velvety; ruffled; pronounced sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2009; Award of Merit 2011.
(Paul Black, 2017), SDB, 13", early to late bloom season.
Standards white, lime green veins up midrib; style arms cream-white; falls white, lime green haft veins; beard hairs based white, light gold-yellow in throat, cream white in middle, ends white; glaciata; pronounced sweet grape fragrance.
(Michael Sutton, 2022), TB, 34" (86 cm), midseason to late bloom, broken color.
Standards dark ruby red, streaked and splashed yellow; style arms ruby red streaked yellow; falls dark ruby red, streaked and splashed yellow with occasional white streaks; beards golden yellow; slight spicy fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2024.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(John Painter, 2009), TB, 35", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards dark pansy-violet streaked mottled white and aster violet; style arms dark pansy-violet; falls same but more heavily marked than Standards; beards mixed violet and white, yellow in throat; slight spicy fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2013; Award of Merit 2016. Novelty.
(Thomas Johnson, 2009), TB, 35", late midseason bloom.
Standards bright white flushed yellow at midrib, fine network of yellow veins; style arms white, lemon crests; falls white overlaid with brown veins and sanding between veins at hafts, centers washed medium yellow, lighter below beards, darker going downward ending in wide white bands, muted brown veins in center becoming clearer and darker at lower and middle edges; beards yellow orange; purple based foliage; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2012.
Photo: Mid-America Gardens
(Tom Burseen, 2015), TB, 37", very early through late bloom, broken color.
Standards white, chartreuse base; style arms white; falls white, centers slightly streaked violet-blue; beards scarlet, short fuzzy white horns; flared; very ruffled; slight spicy fragrance. 'Don’t Doubt Dalton' sibling.
Honorable Mention 2018.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Brad Kasperek, 2001), TB, 34" (86 cm), midseason bloom, broken color.
Phlox purple, violet purple and beetroot purple splashes; beards red orange; lightly ruffled, laced; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2005.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Schreiners, 1999), TB, 36", midseason to late bloom.
Standards crystalline white, midrib golden yellow; falls light creamy yellow to white, yellow shoulders, 2" rosy magenta marginal band; beards golden yellow.
Honorable Mention 2001; Award of Merit 2003.
(Thomas Johnson, 2014), SDB, 13", early bloom season.
Standards white, lemon tints, slight gold halo that fades with age; style arms white; falls large black spot with wide white band, small white dart below beard; beards yellow-orange, tipped white; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2016; Award of Merit 2018; Cook-Douglas Medal 2021.
(Ava Toth, 2022), IB, 21", midseason to late bloom, broken color.
Standards pale dusty orange, splashed and blotched with shades of maroon-red; style arms dusty orange; falls yellow to pale orange base, streaked and blotched shades of maroon to dark burgundy; beards orange; slight musky fragrance.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Brad Kasperek, 1993), TB, 38", early to midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards butterscotch with random golden yellow streaks; falls butterscotch and caramel stripes on golden yellow ground, off-white streaking; beards butterscotch; lightly laced, ruffled; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 1996; Award of Merit 1998.
(David Toth, 2022), IB, 20", midseason to late bloom, broken color, space age.
Standards honey yellow, few specks brick red; style arms honey yellow, few paler honey yellow streaks; falls mustard yellow, random brick red streaks and splotches; beards honey yellow, up to 3˝ long smooth spoons, honey yellow tipped brick red.
Photos by David Toth at Indian Creek Irises
(J. Terry Aitken, 2012), MDB, 6", early to midseason bloom.
Standards and style arms white; falls white ground, deep purple spot, white cleft below beard, slight white zonal spot beside beard; beards bright orange.
(Brad Kasperek, 1999), TB, 36-38", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards yellow, streaked violet purple and white, lightly banded yellow; style arms yellow and grape, streaked; falls yellow band, with broken color violet purple, center white with purple streaking; beards mustard yellow, hairs tipped purple; ruffled; style crests laced; slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2002.
(David Toth, 2017), BB, 20", midseason to late bloom, broken color.
Standards white, faint pale yellow streaks or splashes, light to medium purple splashes; style arms white, streaked yellow; falls white, heavy splashes of light yellow and purple; beards yellow, 1 ½˝ to 1 ¾˝ large spoons randomly splashed white, yellow and purple; moderate ruffling; slight musky fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2019.
Photo by Andrew Brownfield at Maple Creek Daylilies
(Thomas Johnson, 2021), TB, 28" (71 cm), midseason bloom, flattie, broken color.
Standards none; style arms white, peach-pink crests; falls mango peach-pink, occasional white streaks, flattie, slightly cupped; beards orange, on all 6 petals; slight fragrance.
(Schreiner, 2013), TB, 42", late midseason bloom.
Standards white, yellow cast in center of petal; style arms yellow; falls red-brown, yellow-gold veining, thin gold edges; beards gold.
Honorable Mention 2015
(Allan Ensminger, 1992), BB, 24", midseason bloom, broken color.
Royal purple streaked white; beards sulphur yellow (1/2); slight fragrance.
Honorable Mention 1996, Award of Merit 2000.
Photo: Delane Langton at Eagle Ridge Iris Gardens
(David Toth, 2018), TB, 34", midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards pale lavender, heavy light purple mottling, random white streaks; style arms light lavender blushed darker purple; falls medium purple, streaked white; beards light yellow; slight spicy fragrance.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Thomas Johnson, 2015), TB, 34" (86 cm), midseason to late bloom, flattie, broken color.
Style arms buff-peach; falls 6 lavender petals, darker maroon wash and textured veins; beards very small orange, ends white; slight fragrance; flat.
Honorable Mention 2017, Award of Merit 2019. Novelty Iris.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Allan Ensminger, 1992), BB, 25" (64 cm), midseason bloom, broken color.
White ground, striped veronica blue; beards blue-tipped; slight fragrance.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Paul Black, 2012), SDB, 14", early to midseason bloom.
Standards light shell-pink; style arms mid to light shell-pink; falls light shell-pink, haft and big spot surrounding beard completely overlaid with mid dark violet-blue lines and some dotting and sanding between lines; beards mid coral; spicy fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2018.
(Anton Mego, 2015), TB, 38" (97 cm), early to late bloom.
Standards smoky caramel, tinged violet; style arms yellow; falls light lavender-blue, lightening towards edge, 2 cm cream-yellow border, lemon yellow blaze to center of beard; wide tangerine beards, occasional light-lavender horns.
Honorable Mention 2017.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(George Sutton, 2001), TB, 35", midseason to late bloom, space age.
Standards satinwood, faint aster violet wash on midrib; style arms satinwood; Falls violet veined darker, 1" almond shell edge; beards satinwood with faint violet base, 1 1/2" violet arm ending with small 1/2" satinwood spoon; ruffled; slight sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2005.
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Allan Ensminger, 1990), SDB, 10", late midseason bloom + reblooms.
Standards wistaria blue; falls straw yellow; beards wistaria blue.
Honorable Mention 1993; Award of Merit 1996.
(Thomas Johnson, 2014), TB, 35", midseason to late bloom, flattie, broken color.
Style arms white, gold edging; falls mustard with white central stripe; beards mustard; slight fragrance; flat form.
Honorable Mention 2016, Award of Merit 2018.
(Z. Benson, deceased, by Mary M. Rhodes, 2018) TB, 36", midseason bloom, flattie, broken color.
Standards broken color lilac and white; style arms ochre-gold, lilac midrib; same as standards, very wide; beards light lavender; flat form.
Honorable Mention 2021
Photo: Andrew Brownfield
(Paul Black, 2007), TB, 34", early to midseason bloom, broken color.
Standards bright gold, extremely variable ruby wash; style arms bright gold, variable ruby streaks; falls bright gold, random ruby red streaks and splashes, sometimes half streaked, half solid ruby red on same petal; beards bright yellow-gold; ruffled; extremely variable broken color from petal to petal and flower to flower; slight spicy fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2011; Award of Merit 2013.
(Paul Black, 2007), TB, 40", early to midseason bloom.
Standards and style arms white; falls white ground lined and dotted plum rose over haft changing to pale sanded wash over center , darker wash on lower, pale near white rim; beards white tipped yellow; ruffled; slight sweet fragrance.
Honorable Mention 2009; Award of Merit 2011.
