There is a lot of information about iris. I’ve included several links in my Resource List page. I’m also sharing what I’ve consolidated over the years from different sources. Hope you find it useful.
Some of the sources I know I used are:
Iris Classifications (sizes)
| Abbreviation | Name | Notes | Standard Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB | Arilbred | Hybrid between the exotic aril irises of the Near and Middle East and the bearded irises. Unusual color and form. | |
| TB | Tall Bearded | Most common and most popular bearded iris. | > 27 1/2" |
| BB | Bordered Bearded | Shorter version of the Tall Bearded. | 16" to 27 1/2" |
| MTB | Miniature Tall Bearded | Very refined and dainty. Also called table iris. | 16" to 27 1/2" |
| IB | Intermediate Bearded | Usually crosses between SDB's and TB's. Bloom near the end of the SDB season and the beginning of the TB bloom. | 16" to 27 1/2" |
| SDB | Standard Dwarf Bearded | Bloom very early in the season. | 8" to 16" |
| MDB | Miniature Dwarf Bearded | Bloom very, very early in the season. Prefer colder climates. | < 8" |
Iris Bloom Times
| Abbreviation | Name |
|---|---|
| VE | very early blooming |
| E | early blooming |
| EM | early to midseason |
| M | midseason |
| L | late season |
| VL | very late |
| EML | early - mid - late |
| RE | reblooming |
Iris Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Amoena | white standards, colored falls |
| Beards (B) | bushy hairs on falls |
| Bicolor | standards and falls are different colors |
| Bitone | standards and falls are different shades of the same color |
| Blend | combination or mixture of two or more colors |
| Broken Color | splashed or streaked with another color (each blossom is different) |
| Dykes Medal (DM) | highest award given to one iris annually |
| Falls (F) | lower 3 flower petals |
| Historic | irises over 30 years old. most dates are the year introduced into commerce. a few are registration dates. |
| Luminata | light area under beard; rays on falls |
| Neglecta | light blue standards, darker falls |
| Plicata | speckled, stitched, or solid margin of color on lighter ground |
| Self | an iris of one color |
| Space Age (SA) | has horns, spoons, or flounces extending from the beard |
| Standards (S) | upper 3 flower petals |
| Variegata | yellow standards, dark colored falls |