I know exactly how you feel. We chart everything.....and somehow each year a new one or color changes. Blues drive me crazy. i've ordered from Cooley's, Wilds, and a local grower. But i love them all. Keep a wish list on file. Running out of room. Its soooo worth the trouble. Beware of Wal-mart.....Happy irising......Looking for Eleanor Roosevelt...my husband says she died. lol

Irises do not change color. Check the FAQs (link at top of forum page) for a list of explanations for what "appear" to be color changes in irises.

I chart everything and am careful to get every piece of a clump when I discard and in over fifty years of growing irises, mine have never turned yellow or purple or white. Why haven't I had color change in my garden?

If color change has happened to you, it probably is because you left a piece or two of a very vigorous grower which came up and crowded out the other varieties. Or, a seed pod left unharvested, spilled, dropped to the ground and sprouted. It is genetically impossible for an iris to change color. MAN can change color by sticking a stalk in a bottle of water that has food coloring in it. THAT is the only way to change the color of an iris already planted in your garden. Man changes color by hybridizing new varieties, but that is a different story. There may be many surprises that can come in color range from one pod.

If irises change colors, watch for color changea in your daylilies, roses, or any blooming plant, shrub, or tree.

Walter Moores

I was so happy to see over a dozen bloom stalks on my Goldfish this year, but last week 2/3s of the clump turned out to be Tiffany. I am meticulous in keeping rhizomes with their names and this one (as well as many others) got past me - for years. These kind of mix-ups are to be expected anywhere multiple irises are grown for any length of time.

Mike

thanks everyone. i didn't think they would just change colors, but it's so bizarre that so many of them that bloomed last year - large clumps mind you - were purple and i was lucky to have maybe two or three that bloomed that way and the rest in that area bloomed a gorgeous yellow.

oh well, not complaining. maybe i'm just crazy LOL

thanks
maryanne