177 years ago, the famous purple plicata Mme. Chereau, crossed by Monsieur Lemon of France, symbolized the transformation of the bearded iris species into popular garden plants. (Classic Irises, Mahan). How far we have come! Now we marvel over purple plicata falls with an entirely different color pattern on the standards, a development of the last decade. A swoosh of purple marks the midribs, and purple continues with dotting on the standards, the inside of which are near white. The purple tint subtly blends into ethereal buff edging. Style arms mimic this color scheme. Precisely defined blue-purple plicata borders, deeply blue, lay the groundwork for milky white falls, creating a soul-stirring feeling, akin to that evoked by its very namesake, the Colorado peak that towers as the highest point on the Continental Divide. Seedling # 2021 #1