Look what I found: Iris germanica 'Dover Beach' (?)

I have a feeling that all of my plant identifications from here on out will include question marks.  For the most part, I can tell the family and species of plants, but once you get down to varieties, I'm lost.





Bloom detail

 I knew this was an Iris germanica, also known as a bearded iris.  Other than weeds and vines, there were two plants growing in the backyard of the old house when we moved in: a clump of struggling purple bearded iris and a wild red rose.  I began a program of dividing and thinning the iris and before I knew it, they were thriving everywhere.  I started trading with some friends and neighbors, and soon I had six different types.  I've grown to love bearded iris.  They're not native, they're ridiculously gaudy and they have a limited bloom period, but for some reason, they hold a special place in my heart.


Habit

I hadn't tried to identify bearded iris before, I just called them by the color of their bloom.  I didn't even know the correct terminology for the parts of the flower.  The three upright petals are called standards and the three drooping petals are called falls.  The fuzzy thing that resembles a chenille pipe cleaner is the beard.

For some reason, I always thought the largest "fall" was the beard.  I guess you learn something new everyday, huh?

I did a search for a iris that had the following characteristics:

• Early bloomer
• Tall
• Fragrant
• Ruffled
• White Standards
• Blue/Purple Falls
• White Beard

The only result that looked anything like my iris was 'Dover Beach'.  I'm not especially convinced -- mine seems to have more ruffles and might be a little more blue.  Like the many other plants I'm on the fence about, I guess I'll have to keep my eyes open.

Do you have a favorite bearded iris?