Hybridizer Tom(1907-1969) Craig & Family

Escondido, California, and Hubbard, Oregon, USA Related links....

.. Craig Catalog in Historic Iris Web

Tom Craig and his family have all had introductions: Ivan sent this note: "I think the Tom Craig page should be a family page including my mother Frances Craig. It should include my brothers and me: Tim , Ken, Ivan, and my sisters: Patricia Valesca, and F. Amoret." … and so they are collected here as part on one breeding program. He continued "It will be interesting to see how many of the old cultivars are still available. I am attempting to find many of old hybrids to plant on the property where it all started at 910 Rome Dr. Los Angeles."

Tom Craig received the Hybridizer Award of the American Iris Society in 1962.

From The Bulletin of the American Iris Society, No. 194(July 1969): Tom Craig died of a heart attack February 8, 1969. He had already registered his new introductions for 1969. The plants had been set out in the fields for the growing season. His wife Fran and their five children completed the work on his catalogue and will see the crop through to harvest. Flower hybridizing and growing was Tom Craig's second career. It was as an artist that Life Magazine sent him to cover the United Nations invasion of Italy. His assignment: find the great master works of art not destroyed by war. He crossed the Arno and entered Florence before the Allied Army took that Flower of the Renaissance, stubbornly held by the Germans.

After the war, he began hybridizing as a hobby on land near his Mt. Washington studio in Los Angeles. As his reputation as artist and art teacher blossomed to something more than regional, he turned his back on his successes. Perhaps it took more courage than crossing the blooded Arno River in the middle of the night. With five children, he quit his teaching position and bought a raw mountain near Escondido. No water, No road. They put in the road. They built a collection pond for water. Today it is Rancho de las Floras. The blooms are Tom Craig's monument. He would prefer them to monuments of marble. "Marble is a dishonest material," he said. "Today, the ruins of Rome are made of brick. The marble was nothing but veneer that washed away. These blooms are honest. They are beautiful. They are alive. They were made by Tom Craig. —Earl H. Donovan

For more on Tom Craig and his legacy see: Tom Craig in Three Acts by Bryce Williamson, World of Irises blog, January 8, 2024.

Registrations/Introductions:

Arilbred: 'Absynthe'; 'American Modern'; 'Anatolia'; 'Araks'; 'Babesan'; 'Baby Kabul'; 'Bamboo'; 'Beau Pam'; 'Blue Ox'; 'Bluing'; 'Cerulean'; 'Cockerel'; 'Coronation Tapestry'; 'Cousin Prunella'; 'Crystal Clear'; 'Engraved'; 'Etching'; 'Exotic Parade'; 'Fancy Work'; 'Flairmohr'; 'Frances Craig'; 'Glowmohr'; 'Gros Grain'; 'Heigho', 'House Party', 'Hurricane', 'Jazzy Falls', 'Kalifa Kan', 'King David', 'King Size', 'L'Amohr', 'Leah', 'Mary McClellan', 'Mary Valentine', 'Mauve Decade', 'Mauvedust', 'Moonchild'; 'Mourning Dove', 'Nevermohr', 'Night Moth', 'Norma Santillan', 'Peach Sherbert', 'Peg Dabagh', 'Persian Pattern', 'Phosphorescent', 'Puff', 'Punch Bowl', 'Royal Accent', 'Sailor Suit', 'Serpent', 'Silver Charm', 'Steel', 'Yvette'.

Border Bearded: 'Babesan', 'Beau Rose', 'Black Berry', 'Border Beauty', 'Border Girl', 'Combat', 'Dreamer', 'Dual', 'Face Color', 'Hot Shot', 'Jack Pot', 'Norma Santillan', 'Pueblo', 'Rage', 'Rainy Day', 'Red Admiral', 'Red Hot', 'Royal Orbit', 'Verisweet', 'White Lie',

Intermediate Bearded: 'Baldwin's Ace', 'Columba', 'Conrad', 'Deb', 'Dual', 'Kid Spark', 'Little Wonder', 'Little Zombie', 'Moonchild', Polish', 'Ready',

Miniature Dwarf Bearded: 'Down Town', 'Ink Drop', 'Liberty Spot', 'Lucky Spot', 'Snowkid', 'Ultra Shadow', 'Whitie'.

Miniature Tall Bearded: 'Kid',

Standard Dwarf Bearded: 'Ambulance', 'Baby Brother', 'Blue Toy', 'Blood Brother', 'Bloodspot', 'French Boy', 'Green Patch', 'Ice Cube', 'Jawbreaker', 'Kindergarten', 'Moon Baby', 'Patch of Blue', 'Red Baby', 'Tinker Toy', 'Tip', 'Topping', 'Yogi'.

Spuria: 'Antique Bronze', 'Big Cloud', 'Blue Pinafore', 'Blue Valentine', 'Investment', 'Sun and Shadow', 'Sunny Side'. 'Sweet Butter',

Tall Bearded A-E: 'Aahme', 'Abbey Violet', 'Absynthe', 'Adam', 'Adamsblack', 'Adamsred', 'Afire', 'Almond Blossom', 'Ambush', 'American Modern', 'Ankara', 'April Showers', 'Arty', 'Attractive', 'Aunt Amoret', 'Azelta', 'Bacchanal', 'Bahia', 'Baldy', 'Ball Gown', 'Bang', 'Banner Royal', 'Barbaric', 'Battlesong', 'Bearded Lady', 'Beau Catcher', 'Beriband', 'Beverly Jean', 'Big Giant', 'Big Sur', 'Bisco', 'Black Berry', 'Black Boots', 'Blanco', 'Blue Leather', 'Blue Silhouette', 'Blue Violet', 'Bob's Blue', 'Border Bright', 'Bright Veil', 'Briney', 'Bruna', 'Bumper Crop', 'Burgundy Splash', 'Burnished Bronze', 'Calor', 'Can-Can', 'Candy Pink', 'Catawba', 'Chabacano', 'Chant', 'Cheeks of Tan', 'Chirp', 'Cielo', 'Cienfuegos', 'Clean Sweep', 'Cobre', 'Coconga', 'Cogo', 'Cold Red', 'Cold Wave', 'Color Charm', 'Color Contrast', 'Color Delight', 'Coloroyal', 'Cool Day', 'Coolhead', 'Copper Urn', 'Cordial', 'Crimson Glaze', 'Crimson Maple', 'Cupid's Dart', 'Custard', 'Dainty Dot', 'Dark Brilliance', 'Dark Continent', 'Dera', 'Desert Rose', 'Desert Sunrise', 'Design Dandy', 'Devlish', 'Different', 'Donna', 'Double Decker', 'Dowager Queen', 'Drago', 'Early Flame', 'Ebbtide', 'Edgecumbe', 'Eiger', 'Elsie Heimer', 'Embrown', 'Ensenada', 'Escondido', 'Ethel Sumner',

Tall Bearded F-O: 'Fadiah', 'Farewell', 'Farez', 'Feza', 'Firebright', 'Flan', 'Florescent Colors', 'Flying Colors', 'Foxy', 'Frantie', 'Fraziza', 'French Crown', 'Frieda's Favorite', 'Frosty', 'Garish', 'Gaudy', 'Gene Wild', 'Ghostie', 'Glowing Amber', 'Golace', 'Gold Antique', 'Gold Orbit', 'Golden Perch', 'Golden Ripple', 'Golden Sleep', 'Golden Tan', 'Golwave', 'Goodun', 'Green Chic', 'Green Harmony', 'Green Lace', 'Green Ripple', Gros Grain', 'Harvest Medley', 'Harvest Tone', 'Hazel Reed', 'Head Hunter', 'Headlands', 'Heatherlands', 'Heigho', 'Hi Tone', Hot Copper', 'Hues', 'Hush', 'Island Boy', 'Jane Beer', 'Jazz June', 'Jazzy', 'Joseph's Mantle', 'Kazak', 'La Paz', 'Laurel Oak', 'Liberty Royal', 'Lois Craig', 'Love Potion', 'Lovelock', 'Mar', 'Marrakesh', 'Mauve Decade', 'Miss Cameo', 'Miss Orchid', 'Miss Pam', 'Miss Peach', 'Molten', 'Moon Goddess', 'Mourning Dove', 'Mrs. Douglas Pattison', 'Mrs. Pat', Mt. St. Helens', 'Nellie Craig', 'Nevermohr', 'New Hues', 'Noah', 'Novelty', 'Nuez', 'Oceanside', 'Only This', 'Opal's Choice', 'Orchid and Flame', 'Oro Fino', 'Oro-Guinda',

Tall Bearded P-Z: 'Pamoosa', 'Pat In Blue', 'Patricia Craig', 'Patterned Beauty', 'Patty', 'Peach', 'Peach Parfait', 'Peach Sherbert', 'Phosphorescent', 'Pink Platter', 'Pinkie Lea', 'Play It Cool', 'Pleasant', 'Pleasing', 'Plum Big', 'Plum Lines', 'Plunder', 'Port', 'Poway', 'Puff', 'Pure Pleasure', 'Pure Violet', 'Rainy Day', 'Real Tan', 'Red Boat', 'Red Boy', 'Red Chalet', 'Red Desire', 'Red Dress', 'Red Flight', 'Red Hot', 'Red Plume', 'Red Polish', 'Red Profusion', 'Red Report', 'Red Ruler', 'Regal Robe', 'Regal Velvet, 'Rich Raiment', 'Richness', 'Riffles', 'Rippling Wine', 'Riptide', 'Rose Sachet', 'Rosewine', 'Rosired', 'Royal Accent', 'Royal Band', 'Royal Favorite', 'Royal Giant', 'Royal Navy', 'Royal Round', 'Royal Sable', 'Royal Summit', 'Rozine', 'Ruth Couffer', 'Sandou', 'Sandwich', 'Savage', 'Sea', 'Shady Lady', 'Shocking', 'Shy Nymph', 'Silver Hues', 'Silver Platter', 'Sky King', 'Sky Queen', 'Sleighride', 'Soft Echo', 'Spice', 'Spiced Burgundy', 'Spook', 'Spring Green', 'Steeplechase', 'Stop', 'Summer Sun', 'Summerose', 'Sunny Circle', 'Sunny Dream', 'Sunny Joy', 'Sunspot Midas', 'Supered', 'Surprise Pattern', 'Sweet Evelyn', 'Sweet Sleep', 'Tabasco', 'Tambien', 'Tan Butterfly', 'Taxco Jewel', 'Tints', 'Tistops', 'Tom-Tom', 'Triplex', 'Tun', 'Twohues', 'Valhalla', 'Vengeance', 'Verinew', 'Verinice', 'Verinovel', 'Verisweet', 'Victorian Veil', 'War Dance', 'Warpath', 'Webspun', 'Weirdie', 'White Agate', 'White Favor', 'White Sorceress', 'White Spot', 'White Tutu', 'Wilma Vallette', 'Winter Rose', 'Witches' Brew', 'Wonders', 'Xmas Fires', 'Zombie', 'Zulu Warrior'.