Tall Bearded Iris 'Black Hills Gold': A 1986 Brown Treasure

Tall Bearded Iris 'Black Hills Gold'

Hybridized by Brown and introduced in 1986, Iris 'Black Hills Gold' bears a name of regional treasure—referencing the distinctive pink/green/gold jewelry crafted from gold mined in South Dakota's Black Hills. This mid-1980s TB from the Brown program suggests a cultivar of unique, multicolored metallic beauty.

Botanical Classification

• Family: Iridaceae (eye-rid-AY-see-ee)
• Genus: Iris (EYE-ris)
• Cultivar: 'Black Hills Gold'
• Type: Tall Bearded Iris (TB)

Mid-1980s Color Innovation

The 1980s saw explosive innovation in TB color patterns. Hybridizers were blending pink, gold, green, and brown tones to create "metallic" and "jewel" effects impossible in earlier decades. Brown's 1986 'Black Hills Gold' likely exhibits such a blend: perhaps a gold ground with pink and green veining, a luminata with multicolored rays, or a broken color with the distinctive tri-color mix of the jewelry.

Form and Garden Presence

1986 TB form: modern—broad, ruffled falls; 3–4 branches; 8–10 buds; good substance. The "Black Hills Gold" name implies a cultivar of precious metal quality: lustrous, multidimensional, changing in different light. Brown cultivars are typically vigorous and adaptable.

Culture

Standard TB culture. Metallic/multicolored TBs are most stunning in bright, direct light where their complexity reveals itself. Plant in open sun. Divide every 3–4 years. A cultivar that brings a piece of South Dakota's mineral heritage to gardens worldwide—a floral nugget of rare beauty.