WISE GUY (P. Black '22)
SDB Midseason-Late 12” (30cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Wait for the punchline. There it is, the big searing orange beards. Pale yellow standards surround mid yellow styles. Light yellow falls have shaded darker yellow spots with darker widely spaced light brown veins and narrow tan-yellow band around them. Very pretty and unique.
Sdlg. Kisses X Lottery

ADRENALINE JUNKIE (Paul Black '22)
TB Early-Midseason 30” (76cm)
No fragrance. These early bright blooming clumps will get you pumped up for the coming bloom season. Peach pink standards blend to buttery peach margins. Mid peach falls blend darker toward edges and have widely spaced dark purple veins overall. Fat vivid orange beards keep your heart pounding. Myriads of show stalks have 3 branches and 7-8 buds.
Sdlg. Z43W: Will You Be Mine X V78A: (R76D: (Opening Number x M29DD: (Ransom Note x What’s My Line)) x R108B: (N121AA: (City of Gold x Snowed In) x One of a Kind))

BACKGROUND NOISE (Paul Black '22)
TB Late-Very Late 34” (86cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Two of this year’s introductions are from this cross that produced many delightful seedlings. ‘Me and My Shadow’ has proven to be a solid parent for quality later blooming hardy plicatas. Light blending to dark butterscotch standards have fine darker caramel veining. Styles are darker butterscotch with styles veined brown. Crisp white falls are decorated with wide dark burgundy plicata bands while near black irregular lines descend part way down their centers. Three well-spaced branches carry 7-8 buds. A vigorous and hardy plicata.
Sdlg. Z100I: Me and My Shadow X First Pick

BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY (Paul Black '22)
TB Early-Midseason 29” (74cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Reveille sounds as the brilliant sun rises just like the vivid yellow-gold standards of this showy flower. Pristine white falls have dark amber bands with red-violet halos inside them. Big bright yellow beards echo the standards color. Three branches and 8-9 buds ensure a lengthy bloom. Showy clumps and shorter stature provide a bright spot toward the front of your landscape.
Sdlg. X89E, Paisley Print sib

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

ESSENCE OF BEAUTY (Paul Black '22)
TB Early-Midseason 33” (84cm)
No fragrance. Ooh la la, all those undulating ruffles and vivid apricot, orange and pink blending decorated with even darker bold orange beards. All this lusciousness is carried on strong stalks having 3 branches and 8-9 buds. For those breeding broken color sorts, this one has B/Cs on both sides of the parentage.
Sdlg. X113B: Big Break X Black U22B: ((Magical Glow x Impulsive) x Black R170C, Simply Coral sib)

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

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

LATER ALLIGATOR (Paul Black '22)
TB Early-Midseason 34” (86cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance. Be careful this intriguing character doesn’t sneak up on you. Swirling mid to light slate blue standards are flushed darker gray violet up midribs. Ruffled mustard yellow falls have paler centers and are veined darker gold. Show stalks with 3 branches and spur have 8-10 buds which is characteristic of both parents. Robust growth ensures this gator will be back year after year.
Sdlg. Y46A: Black U10, Luxuriant sib X Black W130A: (Black T19B, Lost World sib x Secret Agenda

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

APPLE OF MY EYE (Paul Black 23)
TB Late-Very Late 35” (89cm)
Pronounced sweet fragrance Oh YES, I really like this one. Be sure to take in the lovely, nuanced colors. Tight classically formed flowers have waxen substance and sheen. Lightly laced red brown standards blend to wide dark mulberry bands, a very interesting color transition. Narrow crinkle laced black cherry falls are touched with white dotting. The white chevron around the multi-layered beard is heavily mottled mid black cherry. Three layered beards are white to dark purple and tipped old gold. Strong, disease resistant foliage. Show branched stalks have 3 branches plus spur and 9- 10 buds. Sdlg. AA268A: Ruby Tracery X Black Y54A, Drag Race sib

HAPPY PLACE (T. Johnson ’23)
SDB Early 14” (36cm)
Slight fragrance. Happy Place got its name based on its cheery nature. It is just such a happy iris that makes me smile. Brilliant canary yellow self with a white line extending below the large bushy white beards. The falls are slightly darker yellow in the center. Very bright and a favorite. Sdlg. TK283A: Hit The Jackpot pod parent X Ribbit pollen parent.

AS YOU WISH (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason-late 35” (89cm)
Light fragrance. Medium rose-lavender-pink standards and edge on lighter pink falls. There is a darker pink blush on either side of the beautiful saturated pink beards. Very nice ruffled and laced form on nice show stems. As You Wish is an easy grower and has been used heavily in hybridizing. This is an iris that we like a lot!! Sdlg. TL74ZZ: Slice Of Heaven X Strawberry Shake.

CHARACTER STUDY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Light fragrance. Flesh pink standards, darker in the center. Falls are pink with a reddish violet blended band and vivid orange beards. The standards have an interesting serrated edge in gold. Puts on a great show. In the garden. Sdlg. TI52ZZ: Conniption Fit X Dignified.

COSMIC MYSTERY (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. White ground standards are almost completely overlaid gold. The midrib is flushed violet. Falls are white with a deep velvet red band. There is medium red violet dotted band inside the darker band. Nicely ruffled flowers on a very bright and pleasing color combination. A nice classically ruffled form completes the look. Sdlg. TL213G: (Say It Right x Marry The Night sib) X (Marry The Night sib x pod parent of Be Not Afraid).

HERE COMES TROUBLE (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 36” (91.5cm)
Sweet fragrance. Dark burgundy-maroon standards are edged with a wide gold band. Falls are a deep beetroot red to near black with a narrow gold edge. The central white luminata patch has gold touched hafts on both sides. Heavily ruffled flowers are a delight to behold. Here Comes Trouble is a strong grower with fast increase and a prolific bloomer. She has been very popular with garden visitors. Sdlg. TK51VV: Fancy Ideas X TG173B: (Song Of Silence x TC174D: (Midnight Velvet pod parent x TY10AA: (High Master x Double Click))).

NIGHT DANCER (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Midseason 35” (89cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards have medium rose pink centers and a flesh pink edge. Falls are a rich purple with a near black purple haft. Even the beard is dark being purple with burnt orange hair tips giving it a bit of a gothic look. I love pink and purple combinations although they are not that common. A very pretty iris. Sdlg. TL184E: Born To Party sib.

ON THE COVER (T. Johnson ’23)
TB Early-midseason 32” (81cm)
Sweet fragrance. Standards are the darkest red violet with a very light rose edge. Falls are an intense shade of black mulberry with a thin light margin of light rose. There is just a touch of orange on either side of the white luminata patch. On The Cover is a very dark luminata but to the red tones of purple black where as many other dark luminatas currently on the market are to the blue tones of black. A little shorter in stature than some of the others but she certainly packs a lot of punch securing her place on the cover of the catalogue this year. Sdlg. TK22A: sister to last years intro
Spine Tingler.