Black Lipstick (Keppel, 2015) TB FG HM WC AM WM

Black Lipstick is a tall bearded iris introduced by Keith Keppel in 2015, growing about 35 inches tall and blooming in the early midseason garden. The standards are a deep black purple, while the style arms are dark purple, blending into dramatic falls that appear nearly solid black. One of the most striking features is the beard color, which can be an unusual solid dark blue that contrasts beautifully against the dark petals. This richly colored iris was bred from ('Oreo' x 'Hello Darkness') crossed with ('Tangled Web' x a sibling of 'Oreo' from seedling 90-82E x 'Storm Track'), bringing together several strong dark breeding lines. Black Lipstick has earned numerous honors including Favorite Guest in 2017, Honorable Mention in 2018, Walther Cup in 2018, Award of Merit in 2021, and the prestigious Wister Medal in 2023.