Inca Chief

Grant Mitsch, R&I 1952
Iris Class:
Bearded
Bearded Class:
Tall Bearded
Age:
1950-1959
Fall Color:
Gold/Tan
Standard Color:
Gold/Tan
Pattern:
Bitone
Beard Color:
Gold/Tan
Hybridizer:
Mitsch
Rarity:
GG eligible - protected

Full Description

TB 35″ ML
From Lloyd Austin’s Rainbow Offerings 1954 “Am enormous and spectacular iris that has already become famous. Everyone seems to want Inca Chief. A wonderful vibrant color- a brilliant lustrous burnished gold bronze. Blooms perfectly proportioned with a gentle ruffling, a regal carriage.Many who really know their iris think this the finest variety seen last year. Comes from two of the best parents in existence, and should prove to be a marvelous acquisition for any hybridizer.”

From Eden Road Iris Garden catalog for 1959: “ML 35 in. (parentage noted). Large, lustrous, burnished golden bronze. Very broad petals of heavy substance, with lightly ruffled edges. A very regal iris.”

From Schreiner’s Iris Lover’s catalog for 1960: “Inca Chief is spectacular in size. It is one of the largest iris in our fields. In color it is really vibrant – a brilliant, lustrous burnished golden bronze, even colored throughout. The perfect proportions of the bloom, the gentle ruffling, the regal carriage, the immense size and the magnificent coloring make this easily one of the outstanding iris.”

Honorable Mention 1952
Note: Inca Chief is named in the parentage of over 100 cultivars.

(Mexico X Tobacco Road), HM 1952, AM 1954.

Provenance: Image 3 from Fresno AIS Convention, 2004.