Hybridizer Caroline Coroneos Dormon, Ph.D. -- 1888-1971 / Ruth (Marsalis) Dormon -- 1886-1947

Saline, Louisiana, USA

Caroline Dormon was a well known author writing on and illustrating the Flora of Louisiana. Her sister-in-law Ruth Dormon was likely the hybridizer and registrant of at least 25 of the Louisiana Iris below. Sorting out whether Caroline actually registered any of these instead of her sister is somewhat obscured by registrations that just said Dormon. Ruth was older and dedicated to making these Irises better known. She actively hybridized while Caroline was a prominent botanical artist and author mostly enjoying Irises as she found them in the wild.--RRP.

Biography -- https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/308079#page/3/mode/1up

From the above biographical article: "When my sister-in-law Ruth Dormon acquired a country place, she went in for Louisiana iris on a big scale. She did not take time to hybridize, but some of her open seedlings were lovely, Mellow Gleam being the most popular. Through her efforts, plants were distributed over a good part of the United States, and a few were sent to Canada." --Caroline Dormon, "The Louisiana Iris Reaches Stardom". Louisiana State Cooperative Extension Service Notice published 12 Nov 1950 at Baton Rouge, reprinted by permission from the October 1950 issue of "Home Gardening for the South," New Orleans, Louisiana.

Registrations/Introductions:

Louisiana: 'Acacia', 'Candles', 'Cathedral Blue', 'Contrast', 'Coral Isles', 'Dainty Lass', 'Dan DeBaillon', 'Easter Basket', 'Eventide', 'Fairy Chalice', 'Fire Alarm', 'Flaming Maple', 'Formosa', 'Forsythia', 'Foxglove Bells', 'Gay Affair', 'Golden Sheaves', 'Green Tracery', 'Gretna', 'Gypsy Red', 'Headlight', 'Homachitto', 'Honeysweet', 'June Clouds', 'Lady Storm', 'Lillian Trichel', 'Louisiana Dawn', 'Mardi Gras', 'Mary S. DeBaillon', 'Micco', 'Opal Dusk', 'Peggy O'Neill', 'Persian Pink', 'Radiant Orchid', 'Red River', 'Rhumba', 'Rich Harvest', 'Rippled Ice', 'Rose Bells', 'Rose Of Abbeville', 'Royal Highness', 'Ruth Marsalis', 'Saucy Minx', 'Spring Days', 'Starry Night', 'Swan Moon', 'Tango Pink', 'The Khan', 'Thistle-Tuft', 'Upstart', 'Vineyard', 'Violet Ray', 'Virginia', 'Wheelhorse', 'Whoopee', 'Wild Cherry', 'Wood Violet'.

-- BobPries - 2012-05-18