CAPTURE A LITTLE SUN (Paul Black '22)
TB Early -Midseason 34” (89cmPronounced musky fragrance Ruffled flowers have warm white standards circled by wide grape juice purple plicata bands and darker styles. Moderately wide dark wine plicata bands encircle sunny yellow falls. Intriguing waxy black-brown rays spread across wide hafts. Unusual dark sienna to dark brown beards are the perfect adornment. Show stalks have 4 branches plus spur.
Sdlg. Z70L: Oh Dear X Come and Dance

CATERPILLAR BLUES (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 32” (81cm)
No fragrance Breeding for a pure white with dark blue beard TBs has been the pursuit of many hybridizers and one that has yet to be accomplished. The link between beard saturation and petal color has been near impossible to break. The darker the beard, the bluer the petals. The whiter the petals, the lighter the beard becomes. ‘Caterpillar Blues’ is a very light reverse blue amoena with a darker blue beard. Disease resistant foliage and durable plants produce plenty of bloom stalks with 3 branches and 6-7 buds.
Sdlg. Y96A: Black V59C: (After the Rain x Black is Black) X U50A: (After the Rain x S110D: (N193A, Blue Trill sib x Blue Trill))

CROCODILE SMILE (Paul Black '22)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance If I could have only one of my plicatas to breed with, it would be this one. Its genetic diversity, including several instances of ‘Dolce’ plus SDBs, IBs, tet MTBs, BBs and TBs, has given rise to unique colors and patterns in addition to solid growth. White ground standards are washed pale mustard becoming darker toward edges then embellished with darker mustard fine veining overall and white edges. Yellow styles are held within strongly held standards. Expansive white ground falls are widely plicata banded dark olive gold with more olive random dotting and line down centers, over centers and haft. Unique olive gold beards complete this unusual creature. Three branches have 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. Y55A: Black U14A, Drag Race pod parent X Black W191A, Black Label pollen parent

EXPANDING UNIVERSE (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 35” (89cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. This cross is another that yielded many quality seedlings from which choices had to be made as to what goes and what stays. Big broad and heavily ruffled flowers are presented on strong show stalks. Standards have wide purple black plicata bands and only centers show their white ground. Styles are near black. Super wide falls are warm white shaded buff over hafts. Dark purple plicata bands encircle the falls and unusual waxy black chevrons surround rich dark black-brown beards. Strong show stalks have 3 branches and spur to show of 10-12 buds. A must have.
Sdlg. Z74H: Goat Rodeo sib

FELIX THE CAT (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 35” (89cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. This mischievous cat has plenty of pizzazz, charm and a cutting wit. Light tan standards are sanded and shaded cinnamon. Broad mid yellow falls have wide burgundy plicata bands with hafts and centers sanded and dotted burgundy; sometimes more and sometimes less. Markings can be quite variable. Two evenly spaced branches provide 7 buds.
Sdlg. Z100X, Background Noise sib

GIRLS WANNA HAVE FUN (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Combinations of the plicata pattern with other patterns have created a seemingly never ending universe of new and unique patterns and colors. One of those is a butterfly type design where a luminata patch would be. There will be many variations of these to come. This one has mid pink standards with subtle darker rose lines and outer edge. Velvety dark purple-black falls have white darted chevon haft patches overlaid with near black lines sandwiched between purple sanded veins in a modified butterfly pattern. Coral beards enhance its uniqueness. Clumps are gloriously filled with an abundance of stalks having 3 branches and 8-9 buds.
Sdlg. Z88W: Dearest X Black U53X, Rise Like a Phoenix sib

GOAT RODEO (Paul Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. Many early blooming plicatas were a disaster in colder climates because of their related early growth. ‘Goat Rodeo’ is another from my lines to produce later blooming, cold hardy and vigorous plicatas. Dark wine standards show a small central patch of white ground. Pale yellow ground falls are widely banded dark brownish wine with hafts more heavily sanded dark brown. Marigold beards are just the right pop of accent color. Strong growth produces stalks with 3 branches and 8-10 buds.
Sdlg. Z74F: Black V127H, Plum Frost sib X Steal Your Heart

STARRY STARRY NIGHT (P. Black '22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 36” (91cm)
Slight musky fragrance It is a night you’ll long remember. Classically formed, ruffled and lightly laced purple black flowers have standards with white sanded veins over their centers that show their plicata heritage. White fall hafts have closely spaced purple black lines and sanded veins transitioning to velvety purple black falls. Butterscotch beards turn to white climaxing in a white shooting star dart for a dramatic accent. It has a stunning presence even before opening. Bud reverses have chartreuse haft centers streaking into white center bands then white veins streaking into dark purple outer bands. It is an awesome look. Sturdy growth produces 4 well-spaced branches but only 7 buds. As if this wasn’t enough, it has been a mystery progenitor of many broken color plicatas. There is nothing in the parentage to suggest this trait. I’m still exploring its potential. In one cross, about a third of the seedlings looked like it, a third were standard plicata types and a third were broken color plicatas. There is much to be explored!
Sdlg. Y161A: Me and My Shadow X Black V159B, Pleasure’s All Mine sib

SUN PEEKING OUT (P. Black 22)
TB Midseason-Very Late 37” (94cm)
Moderate sweet fragrance. This classically formed and ruffled beauty has silvery cream based standards blending upward to pale yellow with sunny yellow styles peering out from between them. Warm white ground falls have mid ochre plicata marked hafts and one inch light yellow bands subtly marked tan. Seven to eight buds are elegantly presented on stalks with 3 branches.
Sdlg. Y53B: Black U14A, Drag Race pod parent X All too Excited

TO TOO TWO (P. Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 33” (84cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. Unlike the English language, these alluring uncomplicated flowers need no explanation; they are simply beautiful. Raspberry rose standards color is repeated in a blended band around cream to light peach falls. Orange beards provide a pointed accent. Makes a more subtle statement in the landscape.
Sdlg. Z119C: Black V160G (Black S158A, Like a Breeze pod parent x Enough is Enough) X Time Out

WHAT A LOOKER (P. Black '22)
TB Midseason-Late 33” (84cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Pink, pink and nothing but pink including the beards. The pink pigment is overlaid on a warm white ground that prevents contamination from any other color. The pink beards approaching red will make anyone stop and turn with admiring glances. It is a garden favorite that catches most everyone’s eyes. Eight to nine more simply formed flowers are presented on three perfectly spaced branches. Robust blue-green foliage is a big plus for pink TBs that can have less than stellar foliage.
Sdlg. Z14A: Strawberry Shake X Black V186A: involved

DETAIL ORIENTED (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Midseason-Late 13” (33cm)
Slight fragrance. Peach to orange standards and narrow band on light mauve pink falls. There is a violet plicata overlay around the beard & inside the narrow band. We are using this one heavily in breeding to intensify the unique contrasting band on the falls. Nicely ruffled, flashy and charming. Sdlg. TL304A: (Sib to Alaia pod parent x (Pirate Baby x Raspberry Crisp)) X Alaia

LITTLE BIT IN LOVE (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Early 13” (33cm)
Slight sweet fragrance. Melon pink standards have a light lavender plicata dotted edge. Falls are cream with violet plicata dotting heavier at the hafts and lighter and fainter toward petal edge. Lovely ruffled and formed flowers are held on stalks carrying 4 buds. Sdlg. TM173G: Sib to Baby Blush.

ROAD RAGE (T. Johnson ’23)
Early 13” (33cm)
Sweet fragrance. Brilliant gold standards. Falls have medium gold ground with a heavily dotted and stitched red violet plicata haft and narrow petal edge. Huge near red beards are intensely saturated. Fantastic wide, round, and ruffled form on nice stems carrying three buds. Sdlg. TL298B: Alaia X Twitter Bug.

SWEET BABY JANE (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Early 11” (28cm)
Musky fragrance. Brilliant gold standards with maroon infusions in the centers. Falls have a canary yellow ground with a near solid wide deep wine plicata band and random dots and stripes below the orange beards. Sdlg. TL299B: Lava Burst sib.

SWEET VERSE (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Midseason 13” (33cm)
Light sweet fragrance. Essentially Sweet Verse is a pink plicata, showing more lilac at times. The beards are a lovely shrimp color which makes for a striking combination. Super grower with great form, bloom habits, and 4 buds per stalk. Sdlg. TM180A: Sweet Tweet X Tasty Treat

CATCH PHRASE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Icy blue white standards with green veins in the center. Falls are white with a lavender rim. Inside the rim are random violet dots. The hafts have deep violet lines and there is a center line of violet below the beard. Beards are white with orange hair tips. A beautiful take on a purple and white plicata. An easy grower with show stems and gorgeous form. We like! Sdlg. TL46A: High Desert X Mixed Feelings.

EVENING STROLL (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 37” (94cm)
Sweet fragrance. White ground standards are heavily overlaid deep blue purple with a deep plum to near black band. Falls are white with an inner band of deep blue purple dots and a more solid outer band of deep plum. The beard is an unusual blend with the hairs being blue purple at the base then white and finally yellow at the tips creating quite a complex treat. Evening Stroll has finally broken the link between shorter stature and lower bud count in the deep purple-black plicata lines. Seven to nine buds on tall well branched stalks are the norm. Sdlg. TJ145A: One That I Want X High Desert.

FINAL ANSWER (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Late 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Medium flesh pink standards have lavender violet centers. Falls are a rich lavender violet with flesh pink touched hafts. Beards are tangerine, tipped lavender. Final Answer has been an absolute favorite since its maiden bloom. Gorgeous wide, ruffled, and heavily laced form, on Impeccably branched and budded show stems, ensures a long bloom season. This is an iris for the more northerly gardens with its lateness it is sure to avoid any damage from late freezes. It is an amazingly fertile parent, setting pods easily. An absolute must have! Sdlg. TJ119YY: Catch My Breath X Dancing Days.

INTENSE REACTION (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Honey-gold and lavender-pink blended standards are more gold at the edges. Falls are white with a deep red violet band. Beards are orange with a medium lavender tip. Below the tip of the beard is a medium lavender dart. Quite an intense color combination on a unique plicata. Sdlg. TK118ZZ: Castle On The Hill sib