Clara B. Rees (1879-1970)

Our Society was named in honor of Clara B. Rees, a hybridizer who spent her adult life in the Willow Glen area of San Jose, California. She was born in a small town in Ohio and was the second of four known children. Her early life was spent on a farm where she developed a love of plants and flowers.

Clara moved to California with her mother and sister, Ruth in 1924 after her father passed away. The family purchased a house at 1059 Bird Avenue in Willow Glen in 1925. A bookkeeper by trade, Clara kept the books for the iris garden and took care of housekeeping for her mother and Ruth.

Clara’s first interest was in tulips but found that the weather wasn’t cold enough in California to hybridize them so she turned to iris. She also hybridized amaryllis and lilies and anything else she could find.

Clara was trying to develop a pink iris. She crossed Thais  (diploid) and Purissima (tetraploid). The resulting pod contained only two seeds, one of which was shriveled. She planted both and Snow Flurry was born and it was ruffled! The plant bore huge ruffled blue white flowers on tall, sturdy well branched stalks and was obviously a tremendous improvement over any variety then in commerce.

Clara’s sister, Ruth, took two blossoms and carried them without stems by train, streetcar, ferry boat and taxi cab to Carl Salbach who lived in Berkeley and was one of the country’s leading iris specialists. Carl was very impressed and asked to purchase Snow Flurry outright. Ruth suggested $200 outright (which in today’s dollars would be $3,842).  Salbach countered with $150 and $50 of iris in trade, which they accepted.  He purchased all but one rhizome. This Clara could keep providing she did not sell or give any away for 3 years.

Snow Flurry was a hit as soon as it was introduced in 1939, and it was in great demand. Gardeners sought it for its tall form and beautiful, large ruffled flowers and hybridizers sought it for its breeding potential.

Snow Flurry was a breakthrough in form, color, and substance for the iris community and is considered to be the most important parent of modern hybrids. It is still considered by many irisarians to be the most important tall bearded iris ever developed.

Awards and Honors

1939 Honorable Mention for Snow Flurry

1949 Award of Merit for Snow Flurry

1967 Received the Hybridizers Medal of the American Iris Society

1974 the American Iris Board of Directors Award, the first of its kind, was given to Snow Flurry.

As a tribute to Clara, Region 14 named the trophy for the best white iris each year, The Clara B. Rees Cup.

Clara passed away at the age of 90 on August 23, 1970.