Article courtesy of Iriswarehouse.com.




Want to impress your iris buddies with "iris speak"?  Do you know what "plicata" means?  How about "amoena"?  


Below are some of the terms that are important to those growing and purchasing iris.  Practice the lingo of iris and you will soon be rubbing shoulders with the best of the iris growers!

Have fun growing your iris plants!

Use your new terminology talent on the Smiling Gold Iris, Ernst (1991) above.  Beard color (?), standard color (?), falls color (?).  Send an email for answers!  Hint:  perhaps yellow!
photo copyright:  iriswarehouse.com

Descriptive Terms

Amoena — White standards, colored falls Beard — Grouping of hairs at the top of the falls. Beards may be a variety of colors. Bi-color — Light to medium standards, darker contrasting falls Bi-tone — Two tones of the same color Blend — Two or more colors blended together Falls — 3 lower petals of iris flower Flounces — Appendages extending from the tip of the beard like little petals Hafts — Top part of falls (area surrounding beard) Horns — Spears extending from the tip of the beards Luminata — Wash of color in falls with paler veining; clear unmarked area on hafts; usually paler edge to petals Neglecta — Blue standards, darker colored falls Plicata — Stippled or stitched margin color on lighter ground color Rebloomer / Remontant — Iris that blooms in any other season in addition to its normal spring bloom time; also called remontant Self — An iris of one's own color (i.e. only yellow bloom, no mixture of color) Space Ager  — Iris with flounces, horns or spoons Spoons — Spooned appendages extending from beard Standards — 3 upper petals of iris flower Style arms — Small stiff segments above the beards Variegata — Yellow standards, reddish colored falls All iris plants have 3 standards and 3 falls.