Princess Beatrice
[V]
What's This?
Full Description
TB 36″ M B1L
Pale violet-blue with a light beard. Of pallida heritage, but with distinctive flaring form.
From J.C. Nicholls Irises catalog for 1928: (Rated 95) “45 inches. S. silvery lavender, domed and of good texture. F. a little darker, very broad and flaring. Large silvery lavender blooms of ideal shape and fine substance on tall strong stalks. The highest rated and probably the handsomest of all Irises. The wide up-standing blue green foliage is quite ornamental throughout the summer.
NOTE. – In 1–2 (1912?) we brought to Ithaca two roots of “Pallida Dalmatica” obtained by us from a general nurseryman in 1912. In the hope of settling for ourselves the Princess Beatrice-Pallida Dalmatica question, we obtained roots under both names from each of several discriminating growers, and planted comparison rows. Our findings may not be conclusive, but one of the strains has consistently been superior to all the others. Our old one has every year produced stalks averaging three to five inches taller than any of the others, and the blooms have been a little larger. Its most conspicuous difference and valuable characteristic is its abundance of bloom, being one of the most free-flowering Irises in the entire field. The others, true to accepted form, have not been prolific bloomers. This is given as of possible interest to others investigating the question, and not to encourage sales. It runs to bloom instead of increase, and we prefer to propagate our small stock rather than dispose of it. We are calling it Princess Beatrice, and bunching all the others as Pallida Dalmatica.”
From Carl Salbach Iris catalog 1929: A fine broad flower of lustrous lavender with flaring falls, .satiny texture and exceptional substance. Often listed as Pallida dalmatica. 36 in … …………………. 35c; 3 for 80c.”
From Indian Spring Farms catalog for 1931: “This true variety is one of the finest of all Irises. S. and F. light lavender-violet, with beautiful, satiny texture.”