One morning in 1942, while inspecting our iris seedlings, I was startled when I saw that one of the buds just opening was a deep pink, almost rose red. I had never seen a pure pink iris before, but it had been my dream for many years.
Within a few days, seven more pink flowers made their appearance among our seedlings, and these eight plants turned out to be the beginning of a new line of the pink iris.
Twenty-five years ago, I realized a pure pink iris would add much to the beauty of flower gardens and decided to grow one.
As most FLOWER GROWER readers know, the breeding of plants is not unlike the breeding of birds, animals, or other living things—the same general Jaws of heredity apply.
Better animals, birds, vegetables, and flowers are developed by carefully planned mating. Broadly speaking, “like gets like,” but there is always variation in the offspring. To illustrate, let’s consider breeding an iris.
If the objective is color, as in my case, a careful study should be made of all the varieties available to determine which two would most likely produce the desired color when crossed.
Selection Of Breeding Stock
The selection of this breeding stock is very important. It is not based solely on the color of the flowers but also on the characteristics of their ancestors for several generations.
This is not as difficult as it sounds because the checklist book of the American Iris Society lists over 19,000 named varieties of iris and, in most cases, their parentage.
These carefully planned crosses, to be made the following summer when the iris are in bloom, are frequently worked out by the fireside during the long winter.
Cross Breeding
In making a cross, we take the pollen from the stamen of one selected parent and put it on the stigma of the other. The pollen fertilizes the eggs in the ovary, and eventually, a seed pod develops to the size and shape of a butternut.
This may carry anywhere from a half dozen to 80 seeds. The seed is planted in the garden in late fall on open ground and germinates the following spring.
When the young seedlings are about 3” inches high, they have usually transplanted to another bed in rows about 18” inches apart and 10” inches apart in the row. Under favorable conditions, most of them will bloom the following spring.
All plants from a single seed pod are simply the children of the two selected parents; there will be a general family resemblance, but no two plants will produce flowers exactly alike in color, form, and texture.
As in human families, there is always considerable variation.
Line Breeding
These plants are called seedlings, two or more parent plants that come nearest to the color or objective are again selected and crossbred. This process is repeated until the plants become weak from inbreeding.
It is then important to have one or more additional inbred strains or families of similar color, but not closely related, for an outcross with the first so that the resulting seedlings will regain their lost vigor and acquire what is called hybrid vigor.
By this process, called line breeding and careful selection, plus time, patience, and faith, wonders can be accomplished in changing and improving any of the characteristics of the iris or other plants.
Importance Of Not Mating Plants
The importance of not mating plants with common faults cannot be overemphasized. In such a case, the offspring are almost sure to inherit the faults of both parents.
If success did come in producing a new and sensational color in flower, color alone would be of little value if the bloom lacked good form or substance, the stem was weak and poorly branched, or the plants were shy-blooming or lacked vigor.
So in working for color, we must strive for many other desirable and important characteristics. To produce a plant with some of these desirable points is not difficult, but combining most of them in a single plant is a real achievement.
In time most careful breeders build up several strains or families of their own. By doing this, they can breed out many of the weak or undesirable points and, at the same time, strengthen the desirable characteristics until they become somewhat dominant.
This gives the breeder good stock and intimate knowledge of its good and bad points, representing quite an advantage over a beginner’s efforts.
Discouraging Start
When I started working on a pink iris, I carefully considered all of the best near-pink iris of that period, finally selecting several varieties of orchid and lavender tones as parents.
The offspring of these plants were discouraging. The orchid and lavender tones were dominant, the flowers smaller than I wanted, and the substance thin.
Eight years after commencing this line of breeding, I threw the entire family on the compost pile and made a new start. This time I selected parent varieties that were not as pink but had better flowers in many respects.
Two of them, Dauntless and Rameses, were Dykes medal winners (the highest award given to iris in this country.) Dauntless was among the first good reds, and Rameses had a pink and yellow blend.
Other parents selected for the second try were W. R. Dykes, a large yellow from England, Dolly Madison, another pink and yellow blend. And Morocco Rose, also a pink and yellow blend with a tangerine-colored beard.
Morocco Rose, I believe, played a major role in the creation of pure pink, as it undoubtedly carries the recessive gene of the tangerine-colored beard that lights up most of these pinks.
First Pink Bloom
Nine years after making my second start, I came upon the first pink seedling. With this first bloom, I assisted nature a little, and in a few hours, had it opened sufficiently, I could see it was a pure pink self, all flower segments the same color with no veining on the haft.
This so often occurs and is considered objectionable by most critics.
This first pink to open was number 42-05. It was never named or introduced In commerce but has been used quite extensively in breeding additional pinks.
Of the seven others that opened that year, OVERTURE and DREAM GIRL have been widely distributed.
From these original eight pink seedlings, much better pinks have been developed and are available, but because of the unbeatable law of supply and demand, they are rather high priced. Other breeders have developed better ones that will be offered for sale in a short time.
These new varieties range in color from pale baby ribbon pinks with pink beards to deep-toned pinks with geranium red beards. The tangerine and red beards give life to the flowers and add much beauty.
From this line of breeding, another new and attractive color, the golden apricot, as near as I can describe it, has come into being. It also carries tangerine and red-colored beards, lighting up the garden and attracting the eye from afar.
I predict it will be very popular. These new pink and golden apricot colored iris compare favorably in size, form, texture, and substance with the best varieties in any other color class.
Pure Pink Iris
A pure pink iris was only one of my objectives. During the past 25 years, 52 of our iris and hemerocallis originations have been named and widely distributed in this and several foreign countries.
Many years ago, what started as a hobby has now grown into a very interesting small business that has furnished healthful and exciting employment since my retirement.
Producing these original eight pure pink iris represented 17 years of effort and the growing of 12,000 seedlings.
But it was a worthwhile challenge, not in dollars, but in the satisfaction that comes from creating something that may add to the beauty and charm of thousands of gardens in many parts of the world.
44659 by David F. Hall