Iris germanica ‘Immortality’
This is my favorite time in my garden. This is the time of year where I have to check on the garden morning, noon and night because the plants are changing so quickly and flowers seem to open while my back is turned.
I started an end-of-the-month summary for April but could not find time to complete it. Ditto, first-of-May. Perhaps I will post an overview later when things slow down, just for my records. Tonight I would like to share a few more irises.
Christina asked the other day if my white iris was open yet and yes, it opened that same day. If you read this blog regularly you will not be surprised to learn this white iris was a pass-along, so I am not positive about the name. I think this is Iris germanica ‘Immortality.’ It reblooms in fall, which makes it especially easy to recommend.
Iris germanica ‘Immortality’
I showed the Japanese roof iris in Iris Musings, but I was drawn back to it when I noticed the coloration and pattern on this bud.
Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris)
Another pass-along iris from my friend Henrietta bloomed two days ago. So far it is the only one of this color. I have decided I should try to mark it and divide it later this summer.
Iris germanica (Bearded iris) (bearded German Iris)
I researched this iris using a description I thought fit it pretty well: dusky pink standards, burgundy falls. canary yellow beard. I immediately found a good candidate, Tall Bearded Iris Jacquesiana, which may go back to at least 1839.
Then another possibility emerged, perhaps Tall Bearded Iris ‘Prosper Laugier’ which goes back to 1914. It was described as “a smokey lavender, velvety violet-carmine veined bicolor.” I became fascinated reading the coloring descriptions of irises and became quite side-tracked. ‘Prosper Laugier’ seems a good match but it is impossible for me to to know with certainty. If you recognize this iris I would appreciate your help.
Iris germanic a with May Night salvia
Have a great weekend everyone. I will be touring gardens this weekend and helping out as a garden guide with the Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour. I expect to come back to my own little garden with lots of great ideas and inspirations.
Meditation Circle
pbmGarden 
Gorgeous photos of spectacular flowers. Enjoy your weekend.
Thanks so much. I toured the gardens today and they were spectacular. So much fun. Enjoy your weekend too.
Lovely! Mine opened just before a few days of rain, so got a bit battered. Yours look perfect!
Enjoy your weekend touring! 😀
Hi Cathy, hope your irises will continue to open and not all be battered by rain. The tour was terrific and weather was perfect too. Thanks!
Such lovely markings, iris are so beautiful but so fleeting, they have to be enjoyed every day. Ours have just started flowering and I’m like you ,out first thing in the morning to see how many more buds have opened! Have a wonderful weekend!
Enjoy your irises too Pauline! I saw lots of pretty ones on the garden tour today.
Your garden is looking really lovely, Its my favourite time too, I have Irises given to me without names and your white one which repeats in Autumn I am fairly sure I had too, but then inadvertently gave it away. I also think I have a tall one similar to your smokey lavender that I have spent hours trying to identify. Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Thanks Julie. That’s nice we share the same irises. Hope someone will give you the white iris back when they divide it. I’m going to tentatively label my smokey lavender one ‘Prosper Laugier’ although maybe that’s pointless.
Your Irises are lovely. They are amongst my favourite flowers. It is so difficult naming them as over the years so many thousands of irises have been bred and named. I do tend to worry about not having names for things although of course they are no less beautiful without a name. But if you get to know and like a person or a plant you want to know their name.
Chloris, yes it’s hard to believe how many named irises there are. It’s fascinating. I am tempted to just decide this one is ‘Prosper Laugier’ but it’s maybe worse to perpetuate the wrong name. Oh well. I enjoy it regardless. susie
I think the white Iris should be named “Beauty” because she certainly is that. 🙂
I agree it is a beauty, Judy! Have a good weekend.
I also have Japanese roof iris, mine bloomed for the first time last spring. No buds yet this year, and I am curious to see how much they have spread.
Hope you’ll get a nice bloom period from your roof iris. I saw lots today on the garden tour.
I have the same white iris in my white garden….I wish my rebloomers rebloomed but we do not have warm enough weather for reblooming. Your garden is looking amazing!!
Thanks Donna. The reblooming is a nicety but this first bloom period is much longer and fuller.
You’re iris are beautiful. Though I can’t grow the bearded types, several species will grow in shade. Lucky me!
Thanks Marian. Glad you found irises that work in your shade.
Thanks for the mention, Susie and the image of I. Imortality, I actually have this but mine has a blue caste to the colour whereas yours looks pure white.
This one has a slight lavender blue tinge on the bud but it does become pure white upon opening.
Will take your recommendation to grow ‘Immortality’ since it will re-bloom in fall.
They don’t bloom as well for me in fall, but it’s a nice reminder of spring when we’re heading toward winter.
Did you ever find out the name of the iris you thought might be ‘Jacquesiana’ or ‘Prosper Laugier’? You picture looks exactly like an iris I have which I thought might be ‘Jacquesiana’ and Googling that name is what led me to your blog post, but I think my iris looks more closely like yours than the photos of ‘Jacquesiana’ or ‘Prosper Laugier’. So, what is it called?
Hi Teresa, no I never confirmed ‘Jacquesiana’ and sadly I’ve lost that one now. Recently I joined Historic Iris Preservation Society ($13/yr) so I can learn more about some of my irises but haven’t taken advantage of that yet. Apparently they will help you ID and sometimes even grow one to try to help prove what you have. Good luck.
Thanks for replying to such an old post!