The Irises of Dr. Kleinsorge
Dr. Rudolph E. Kleinsorge embarked upon his illustrious career as an iris hybridizer in Silverton, Oregon, in the year 1925. His beautiful introductions brought entirely new blends and colors to irises, and made great advances in form as well. From his first introduction in 1929 to his last in 1961 he gave the world varieties which have earned numerous and well deserved awards – with ‘Daybreak’ having tied for the Dykes Medal in 1946. ‘Tobacco Road’ was perhaps his most acclaimed iris. As the first truly brown iris it set new milestones in its color class and was extensively used by other hybridizers. You can read more about the life of Dr. Kleinsorge and his work with irises under ‘Notable Irisarians’.
Below is a list of varieties that Dr. Kleinsorge introduced – 100 registered varieties in all. Below the aphabetical listing is a listing by year of introduction.
Click on the following for the Iris Compendium of Dr. Kleinsorge, featuring full descriptions and numerous photos of almost all the Kleinsorge varieties, as well as the Seedling List from Dr. Kleinsorge’s notes showing all of his known crosses.
Photo from Cooley’s 1937 catalog
Dr. Kleinsorge’s Special Awards:
AIS Hybridiziner Medal 1945
AIS President’s Medal 1949
BIS Sir Michael Foster Plaque 1950
| Alline Rogers `50 Alpine Glow `45 Anakim ’34 Apricot ’38 Arctic `40 Auburn ’45 Aztec Copper `39 Ballet Dancer `49 Bataan ’42 Beechleaf `55 Bengali `61 Birchbark `40 Black & Gold `43 Bronzed Copper ’43 Bryce Canyon `44 Buckeroo `61 Buckskin ’39 Cairo `52 Calcutta ’38 Canyon Road ’45 Cascade Rose `53 Cascade Splendor `45 Chamois `44 Copper Cascade ’38 Cordovan `46 Crown Prince `32 Daybreak `41 El Paso `49 Evelyn Bye `56 Fabulous `58 Far West `36 Fluted Copper `57 Fortune `41 |
Front Page `55 Full Reward `55 General Patton `47 Goldbeater `44 Golden Crown `54 Good News `46 Grand Canyon `41 Gypsy `44 Harvest Splendor `56 Hindu Belle `60 Howard Weed ’47 Idanha `42 Illusion ’43 Itasca `34 Juliet `46 Kalinga ’34 Klamath ’29 Lovelight `51 Magic Wand ’45 Malay `52 Maroon Damask `42 Mehama ’34 Mexico `43 Minuet `49 Mountain Sunset ’34 Nuevo Laredo `56 Old Parchment `39 Opal Cloud `49 Oregon Beauty ’30 Oregon Giant ’30 Oregon Trail ’43 Ormaco ’41 Ormohr `37 Paradise Isle `59 |
Peach Glow `43 Penny Arcade `60 Pinata ’59 Plainsman `58 Portland ’38 Pretty Quadroon `48 Prince of Monaco `56 Prince of Orange `40 Prospector `50 Ranger `43 Rebellion `37 Red Cross ’38 Red Velvet ’37 Redwood ’39 Rosabella `51 Rose Amethyst `57 Rose Festival ’44 Rose Splendor ’47 San Antone `47 Shy Mermaid `58 Sierra Snow ’38 Solid Gold `51 Solitude `37 Spanish Fandango `51 Sunset Blaze `48 Surprise Party `55 Thotmes III `50 Toast an` Honey `53 Tobacco Road `42 Treasure Island `37 Voodoo `48 Waterlily ’53 Yakima ’34 |
| Listed by date of introduction: | ||
| Klamath ’29 Oregon Beauty ’30 Oregon Giant ’30 Crown Prince `32 Anakim ’34 Itasca `34 Kalinga ’34 Mehama ’34 Mountain Sunset ’34 Yakima ’34 Far West `36 Ormohr `37 Red Velvet ’37 Rebellion `37 Solitude `37 Treasure Island `37 Apricot ’38 Calcutta ’38 Copper Cascade ’38 Portland ’38 Red Cross ’38 Sierra Snow ’38 Aztec Copper `39 Buckskin ’39 Redwood ’39 Old Parchment `39 Arctic `40 Birchbark `40 Prince of Orange `40 Daybreak `41 Fortune `41 Grand Canyon `41 Ormaco ’41 |
Bataan ’42 Idanha `42 Maroon Damask `42 Tobacco Road `42 Black & Gold `43 Bronzed Copper ’43 Illusion ’43 Mexico `43 Oregon Trail ’43 Peach Glow `43 Ranger `43 Bryce Canyon `44 Chamois `44 Goldbeater `44 Gypsy `44 Rose Festival ’44 Alpine Glow `45 Auburn ’45 Canyon Road ’45 Cascade Splendor `45 Magic Wand ’45 Cordovan `46 Good News `46 Juliet `46 General Patton `47 Howard Weed ’47 Rose Splendor ’47 San Antone `47 Pretty Quadroon `48 Sunset Blaze `48 Voodoo `48 Ballet Dancer `49 El Paso `49 Minuet `49 |
Opal Cloud `49 Alline Rogers `50 Prospector `50 Thotmes III `50 Lovelight `51 Rosabella `51 Solid Gold `51 Spanish Fandango `51 Cairo `52 Malay `52 Cascade Rose `53 Toast an` Honey `53 Waterlily ’53 Golden Crown `54 Beechleaf `55 Front Page `55 Full Reward `55 Surprise Party `55 Evelyn Bye `56 Harvest Splendor `56 Nuevo laredo `56 Prince of Monaco `56 Fluted Copper `57 Rose Amethyst `57 Fabulous `58 Plainsman `58 Shy Mermaid `58 Paradise Isle `59 Pinata ’59 Hindu Belle `60 Penny Arcade `60 Bengali `61 Buckeroo `61 |
Approx. 54 are known to stil exist |
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