Theriault Introductions

After a few “false starts” in the early 2000s, I began crossing Iris varieties using the plants I had in 2011. Much of the available stock I used to produce my first seed crop consisted of older (read: simpler) forms. Not much in the way of complex color patterns, not a whole lot of ruffling…in essence, “dated” form, sometimes accompanied by floppy standards or falls that reflexed (curved backward) all the way back to the stems carrying them. Then, there were the goofy colors, and in several cases, offspring that resembled the parents a little too much to be taken seriously. Dangerous Mood was one progenitor that consistently threw seedlings that looked an awful lot like it. It’s certainly not a bad thing, by any means, but it doesn’t make for new and unusual progeny in significant numbers, either.

Two tall bearded seedlings (out of about 500 or so) from 2011 have made it to this point, where they were registered in October 2022 with the American Iris Society and officially named. The AIS is the authority in all things Iris in the US, excluding the true bulb types, and maintains the database of all varieties registered and named in all classes of rhizomatous Iris. They maintain the “rules” of the various classes (discussed briefly on the Iris page), the characteristics of each, as well as the various types of awards and accolades each variety can earn following its introduction.

Those two seedlings are:

  • Brewberry Splash (seedling 11-20D, a cross of Supreme Sultan with Brazilian Holiday), and

  • Smoking Rose (seedling 11-36D, a cross of Rodeo Girl with Sharpshooter).

The former is a trifle simpler in form than the latter, but the coloration of the falls contrasted with the standards was what held my attention for the 10 years prior to registering it.

The other three named seedlings came from crosses made in 2017…one being the first seedling to germinate and bloom from a cross of standard dwarf bearded parents, and the other two being TBs. They are:

  • Berry Band It (SDB seedling 17-90B, a cross of City Neon with Blueberry Tart),

  • Devil’s Eyes (TB seedling 17-75A, a cross of two crosses made in 2011 and 2012, which were Over Alaska X Radiant Apogee crossed with Orange King X Broad Shoulders), and

  • Knight’s Favor (TB seedling 17-40A, a cross of Slovak Prince with Final Episode).

Knight’s Favor bears a resemblance to Jurassic Park, though it appears somewhat more squared and the falls are more periwinkle-blue than JP’s more violet tones. Devil’s Eyes bears a resemblance to “the all-seeing eye” in Tolkien lore, as depicted on the big screen in the early 2000s.

Availability for 2024 will be limited, with Knight’s Favor being the most plentiful of the lot as 2024 gets rolling. I am excited to finally be able to offer some varieties that I was responsible for bringing into the world, so to speak.

These five varieties can be found on the Shop page with their descriptions. I will update on availability of each as numbers change.

Thanks for reading!