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The iris, birth flower for the month of February in which Jennifer Aniston was born, comes in almost every color you can imagine-white, yellow, blue, purple…but not true red. You may see them in colors very close to red, like wine or brick red, but you won’t see one in real, stop sign red. But, if flower breeders and hybridizers like Don Spoon and Richard Ernst have anything to say about it, that will change soon.

The red iris doesn’t exist because the iris has very little red pigment. So, for over a decade, enthusiasts have been crossing and recrossing irises in an attempt to boost red pigment levels and eventually produce a true red iris. So far, breeders have produced an iris with a bright red beard, but they have yet to get the color to move out into the petals of the flower.

According to an article by Barbara Whitaker of the New York Times News Service, Richard Ernst’s (Cooley’s Gardens near Salem, Oregon) project seeks to combine the genes of the iris with the coral lily, tiger lily, and a garden-variety red pepper. That project began fourteen years ago! It took three years just to establish the protocol for regenerating the plant from the cells containing the combined genes.

Another path Ernst’s project follows is introducing a gene from a bacteria that lycopene builds on. Lycopene is the pigment that gives the tomato its bright red color. Don Spoon (Winterberry Gardens in Cross Junction, Virginia) is also following the lycopene path, but his journey has been considerably longer. Spoon has been working toward a red iris for over twenty years. He believes that a red iris is possible simply through cross-breeding, but admits that he will have to ensure the lycopene’s orange-ish color is reduced, perhaps by the introduction of flowers with anthocyanin pigment, which produces a lavender-blue color.

When asked why there’s so much interest in producing a red iris, Spoon says the origin of the quest lies in Greek mythology. \”Iris is the goddess of rainbows,\” Spoon says, \”We’ve got every color in the spectrum except for signal red.\”

Spoon believes he’s just two shades away from the red iris, but thinks it will still be another ten years before a red iris is available to the general public. When he does finally find his red iris, Spoon has no intention of shouting it out to the world. Instead, he says, \”I won’t tell anyone about it, and I’ll start growing up a whole bunch in different parts of the world.\”

So, it seems Jennifer Aniston will have to wait until she’s well into her forties before anyone presents her with a red iris on her birthday…unless, of course, they can convince Spoon to share one ahead of time!

About The Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. As a member of the Henry Ford Hospital Community Relation Board he has contributed to the community at large. He owns both a brick and mortar and an internet flower delivery business. Visit Wesley Berry Flowerson the web at www.800wesleys.com.

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