Calico Cat

Calico Cat is a distinguished border bearded iris introduced by Carol Lankow in 1988 and offered by Amethyst Creek Farm. This award-winning variety reaches 20" (51 cm) in height and blooms in the late midseason. Its standards are a soft, light yellow, while the falls display a delicate sea lavender-violet hue accented by red wine hafts and a yellow beard. Calico Cat is noted for its slight sweet fragrance and refined color combination. Recognized for its excellence, it has received multiple honors, including the Honorable Mention (1991), Award of Merit (1993), and the Knowlton Medal (1995). Attributes: Fragrant, Guardian Garden, Historic Awards: Award of Merit, Honorable Mention, Knowlton Medal Guardian Garden (GG) This cultivar is a Guardian Garden Iris. Guardian Garden irises are endangered cultivars preserved through long-term stewardship rather than routine sale. Many of these varieties have been lost to time through attrition, discontinued propagation, or the disappearance of original growers, leaving only a few known living examples in cultivation. When a Guardian Garden variety is offered, it reflects that a sustainable stock level has finally been reached within our collection; availability remains intentionally limited to protect the cultivar’s future. We encourage collectors who value historic preservation to support the continued safeguarding of rare and endangered irises by joining the Historic Iris Preservation Society.