Hello, I'm new to posting here, although I've been reading the archives for reference off and on for a while. I live in Durham, zone 7a in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, where gardening involves lots of red clay. My gardening interests are pretty varied, but I've had some small successes with bulbs in the past year that have me wanting the learn more. Now I've got a question about Iris cristata that I'm hoping someone can help me with. The new growth on my I. cristata 'Alba' this year includes a small patch with variegated foliage. It looks somewhat similar to the variegation on Iris tectorum 'Variegata'. There are several new rhizomes that have the variegation, all tracing back to a single point on the main plant. What's the biology behind this, and is it likely to be a stable pattern? I've never heard of a variegated form of I. cristata although I've searched the internet and the archives here. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen something really cool develop in my own back yard, but my daughter is starting to wonder about my gardening methods. Thanks, Karen W