For Hardiness-Try Iris 
Few plants are hardier than iris. They endure even the 
severest winters without requiring undue protection. Nearly 
all varieties of iris are perfectly hardy everywhere, although 
two factors in early iris breeding did produce a few varieties 
that did not winter well. Fortunately, both of these factors 
of tenderness have been practically eliminated, and those few 
varieties in our list which are tender in regions where winters 
are severe are so noted in the descriptions. 
The two factors which affected early iris breeding were the 
general tenderness in white iris and the mesopotamica blood 
used in general breeding. 
Shasta, of our introduction, was the first important white 
of complete hardiness. Today, however, it is eclipsed by 
hardy varieties of newer vintage. Snow King, the very best 
of a group of fine whites from the Sass brothers, is of un¬ 
questioned hardiness. At the same time, Bridal Veil, the 
choice in the delicate type of whites, is devoid of tender blood, 
and apparently completely hardy on returns to date. 
Except for Purissima (which owes more of its tenderness 
to its Kashmir White blood than to its mesopotamica), San 
Francisco, 3/8 mesopotamica is the iris with the least meso¬ 
potamica blood that is actually tender. Its sister seedling, 
Los Angeles is perfectly hardy. Many iris, such as El Capi- 
tan, proved hardy although half mesopotamica. 
Not one single iris of our introduction has been tender 
since 1929, and since 1932, iris of our own and of Sydney B. 
Mitchell’s (introduced exclusively by ourselves) have aver¬ 
aged less than 9 % mesopotamica, and Peacemaker (1/4 
mesopotamica) and Brunhilde (3/16 mesopotamica) have 
been the only varieties having more than 1/8 mesopotamica 
blood. Both Peacemaker and Brunhilde are completely hardy 
and most vigorous everywhere. 
Tenderness, then, is no longer a factor in the iris of our 
listing, except for a few of the older varieties, like Purissima 
and San Francisco, which are described as tender in our 
catalog listing. Even these two varieties are successfully 
grown in many Mid-Western and Eastern gardens—and, of 
course, do perfectly in regions where winters are mild or even 
moderately severe. 
EXTRA ENERGY 
Nowhere are conditions better for growing iris and for 
shipping them great distances than our Berkeley, California, 
location. Our gentle sloping hillside location gives us the 
fine drainage that makes firm, hardy rhizomes; and our cli¬ 
mate adds to your assurance of vigorous stock — for the mild 
winter and early spring give our plants a healthy growth early 
in the season, and the fact that we have no summer rains 
matures our rhizomes perfectly—permitting us to ship fully 
matured but dormant rhizomes. With our most careful pack¬ 
ing, we send rhizomes all over the world, and they arrive in 
perfect condition. 
Evidence of the splendid manner in which our shipments 
reach, and then grow in far parts of the world is ample. 
Comments from our customers include many like the follow¬ 
ing: 
FROM ITALY—“You pack extremely well, and I am sure 
you iris could travel anywhere ... I have planted them here 
in the mountains (3,000 ft.)—they do so well, and are so fine 
all during June.” 
FROM IOWA—“I want to let you know that every iris I 
bought from you . . . is . . . doing fine—in fact, making better 
growth than those bought in this part of the Mid-West.” 
FROM OHIO—“The iris purchased from you . . . are as 
perfectly ripened and as nicely packed as any lot of plants 
I have received during more than twenty-five years of buy¬ 
ing iris.” 
FROM NEW ZEALAND—“Irises just to hand in excellent 
condition. They are fine roots, and credit to your firm.” 
FROM SOUTH CHINA, NEAR TIBET—We have just 
learned that our iris survived their most severe winter and 
bloomed in good style. 
CALIFORNIA GOLD 
Runner-up for 1937 Dykes Medal 
FROM NEW YORK—Comparing the growth of Mid-West¬ 
ern and Eastern rhizomes with that from ours: “Your 
California grown iris . . . gave more certainty of. blooms the 
first year after planting, due to the extra stored up energy 
in a well grown root.” 
FROM NORTH IRELAND—In one letter: “I am glad to 
tell you that Happy Days flowered well with me and was 
greatly desired”; and in another: “California Gold was 
greatly admired with me this season.” 
FROM PENNSYLVANIA—“I have had the greatest pleas¬ 
ure in all iris ordered from you—they are such strong plants.” 
FROM IOWA—“I want to tell you about the iris I got 
from you last year. You sent 52 roots, and of the lot, 48 of 
them bloomed this, the first season. I consider that very fine, 
since most of my own that I divided and moved at the same 
time did not bloom.” 
FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA—“The second parcel of iris 
arrived, and as usual, were in good sound condition, for which 
I thank you.” 
FROM ENGLAND—“Many thanks for the fine iris roots 
received today.” 
FROM ILLINOIS—“I wish to express my appreciation for 
the fine iris plants you have furnished me in the past. Your 
plants have always seemed to have more vitality than those 
I have obtained elsewhere.” 
FROM NEBRASKA—“Writing to tell you how happy I am 
with the lovely iris I bought last year. Every kind bloomed 
and my friends are so enthused about them.” 
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