Ambassadeur
[V]
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Full Description
TB 42″ LaM S9D
From Cornell Extension Bulletin 112, 1925: “Color effect a smoky bronze, dark velvety maroon bicolor blend. S. hyssop violet with antimony yellow overcast, finely dotted brown. F. very velvety violet-carmine, with beard conspicuous orange, brown specked. An exceptionally tall, widely branched, and late bloomer.
It is unexcelled in its class for size of bloom. Rating 94.”
From ‘Iris of Quality – Iris Fields’, West LaFayette, Indiana 1927:”We have no hesitancy in saying that this is the finest of the deep toned bicolors, and one of the five or six best Iris in cultivation. S. light smoky reddish violet; F violet red, rich and velvety. Late”.
From Robert Wayman, 1932: “In a popularity vote of the American Iris Society, Ambassadeur proved to be by far the most popular iris in the world, receiving 111 votes against 88 for its next nearest competitor, only eleven varieties receiving more than 50 votes. The decision was therefore overwhelming. It is a gigantic flower, of rich coloring, perfect form, good texture, on stout, erect stems. There is a blending of colors that makes any description inadequate. It is a dark blend, but placed where the sun’s rays show through it, the effect is a rich ruby-red.”
CM SNHF 1918, AM RHS 1921 & 1927.
Comment: “So hard to take an accurate picture of it, flower itself does not change color, but depending upon the light and the time of day it looks so different in photos..not a purple, not a red, not a bronze, but all these colors combined…a really ‘enjoyable’ iris.” – Laetitia, NJ
Provenance: Photos 1,2,4,5 all taken by Laetitia Munro at Presby Iris Gardens between 2004-2007. Ambassadeur is a long time resident of Presby, source unknown.