Dorman Haymon - Society for Louisiana Iris

Dorman Haymon:
A Look at One of the Major Louisiana Iris Breeders
Working Today
by
Ron Betzer*
Lafayette, Louisiana
5
Dorman Haymon has introduced many special Louisiana
i rises over the last 20 years, but that is not the only thing
that has been happening on Duhon Road outside of
Lafayette, Louisiana. There have been periods of exotic geese
and chickens, rare goats, cactus, unusual trees, old roses and
many other interests that have been documented. Now, an early
evening visit to the home of Dorman and his partner, Sandy Duhon,
would find Dorman acting the role of a shepard, complete with
staff, as he attempts to tame a flock of wild, native coastal sheep.
Dorman needs to be busy. Some interests have necessarily given
way to others because of space, time or loss of interest but,
thankfully, Louisiana irises are still a priority.
Dorman was born February 2, 1941 at his family’s home in
west central Louisiana on what is now the artillery range of Fort
Polk. He believes he was the last person born on private land
before the government appropriated his and other families land
to create the military base. The compensation received was
inadequate to buy another home at the time but the family was
eventually able to buy land and build a log cabin. Dorman’s father,
Floyd, was a Baptist minister with many second occupations
over the years. A petite but strong woman, Dorman’s mother,
Miss Gertie, stayed home with him and his two brothers—and a
sister, who died before Dorman was born. Their livelihood was
generally one of subsistence farming. It was a childhood that
Dorman is proud of; believing that not many kids learned how to
make their own soap, and feels it gave him a sense of self reliance.
He shared his parents’, especially his mother’s, love of gardening.
Fall 2007
*Ron and his wife, Eugenie, retired a
few years ago and moved from
California back to her hometown of
Lafayette, La. Ron had met Dorman
through his mother-in-law, Mrs O.P.
Montagnet, a client of Dorman’s at his
hair salon. The iris Ron hybridized,
‘Honey Galore,’ was introduced by
Dorman in 2000.
Dorman as a proud grandfather, 1987.
After graduating from high school in 1959, Dorman attended
the Academy of Beauty Culture in Alexandria, Louisiana. A year
later he graduated as a hair dresser and at 19, moved to Lafayette
to begin his career. Male hairdressers were a novelty at that
time and he was a magnet to the female students at the university
in town. Dorman was married from 1962 to 1972 and they had
three children, a boy and two girls. The children gave Dorman
six grandchildren, the oldest being twin girls. Some may remember
the twins when they made an appearance as babies at a 1987
SLI convention dinner. One of the girls is currently attending the
University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and the other is serving in the
Air Force and stationed in Italy. Dorman’s children and
grandchildren continue to be a big part of his life; most of them
still live in the area.
Fleur de Lis: The Journal of the Society for Louisiana Irises

6
In 1969, Dorman bought into the
salon in which he worked. A teaching
school was also opened and Sandy
happened to be one of the students. Sandy
went on to become a partner in his own
salon but eventually he and Dorman bought
out the original owner in Dorman’s shop
and it became known as “Dorman and
Sandy’s.” Being a lively place thoughout
its history has not kept the salon from
becoming known to some as the “old
ladies salon”– since there are still many
clients who started long ago. The salon
counts several three, and even a few four,
generational family members in their client
base.
Two early non-student clients from the
university were Tressie Cook and Faenelia
Hicks, professors who were very active
in the Society for Louisiana Irises (SLI).
Surprisingly, the subject of Louisiana irises
didn’t come up until around 1978. A
mention to Tressie that he had one growing
in his yard (Dorman figures it was probably
a native) was all that was needed for her
and Faenelia to bring him a sack of named,
but unlabeled, irises. Their first bloom
season found a couple of them to be
‘Marie Caillet’ (Conger 1963) and
‘Faenelia Hicks’(Arny 1969). Dorman had
been hybridizing daylilies and amaryllis and
©Robert Treadway
©Robert Treadway
‘Bubblegum Ballerina’
‘Chuck Begnaud’
wanted to cross the Louisianas but was
having trouble.
Not being much help themselves, the
professors took Dorman to meet
(Left to Right): Sandy Duhon, Dorman, Dee Lee of Texas, and Richard Sloan of California
visit a Louisiana iris garden, ca. 1990.
Professor Charles Arny, the premier
hybridizer of Louisiana irises of his time—
and that’s right, another professor. After
learning how to make a cross, Dorman
went home and made his first: ‘Marie
Caillet’ X ‘Faenilla Hicks.’ One pod was
set in 1980 (to this day, Dorman usually
makes only one cross per stalk). All three
seeds germinated and resulted in huge
plants. A photo exists of Marie Caillet, a
charter member of SLI standing next to
one with it towering over her. Miss Marie,
also a professor and a friend of the other
professors (but not a client because she
felt she could cut her curly hair as well as
anyone) was most instrumental in getting
Dorman to enter flowers in the local show.
Dorman bought most of the irises in
Arny’s catalog that first year; and for the
next few years; irises became an allconsuming
interest. He credits Mr. Arny
with being a big influence in his early iris
education and the two were to become
frequent visitors in each others garden. He
taught Dorman to strive for uniqueness in
his plants and that any new introduction
should be easily identifiable.
Dorman’s thoughts on hybridization
were greatly influenced by what he had
learned from breeding registered cattle,
another previous interest in his life. An
expert cattle man had told him of the
special hybrid vigor found in offspring from
the cross of two concentrated but
completely unrelated lines of cattle—
specifically those of Europe and India.
Dorman became a confirmed line-breeder
(although he rarely gets closer than using
half siblings) with the periodic outcross.
Interestingly, Dorman’s most recent
introduction ‘Suzie G’ (2007), has a direct
line to Dorman’s first cross mentioned
earlier.
In 1988, Dorman introduced his first
nine plants through Deep South Gardens,
a nursery he and Sandy had founded.
Two of the plants, ‘Marie Dolores’ (1988)
and ‘Teresa Margaret’ (1988) were named
after Mother Superiors at the Carmelite
Convent in town. Through Sandy,
Fleur de Lis: The Journal of the Society for Louisiana Irises Fall 2007

7
©Robert Treadway
©Robert Treadway
‘Empress Josephine’
©Robert Treadway
Dorman with a healthy clump of ‘Longue Vue,’ growing in Rodney Barton’s garden in
Dallas during the 2003 SLI Convention.
Dorman had become deeply involved in
working with and helping the ladies of the
convent. Marie Dolores, the plant, is still
thought by many to be one of the best
white Louisianas on the market. A possible
future introduction, to be named Aimee, is
named after another nun at the Carmelite.
‘Friend’s Song’
As a side note, Dorman and Sandy have
just recently taken a sabbatical after singing
in a local church choir for over 20 years.
This author has heard Sandy sing solo and
can report that he has a beautiful voice—
Dorman has yet to be heard.
Dorman’s preference is for tall, dark
and large flowered
Louisianas. Another
of the plants released
that first year was
‘Grace Duhon’
(1988). It’s a tall dark
purple with a large
yellow signal and
named for Sandy’s
mother—as it was her
favorite. It was from a
cross of ‘Ann
Chowning’
(Chowning 1977)
with its big yellow
signals and the dark
‘Full Eclipse’ (Hager
1978). A sister
‘Grace Duhon’
seedling was to bloom a year later (it had
been left in the pot when the others were
rowed out the first year) and was singled
out by Mr. Arny as being especially unique
from the others in the cross—and it
became ‘Empress Josephine’ (1990). It
is even darker than ‘Grace Duhon’ with
an especially beautiful “melted on” gold
signal, although, unfortunately, not always
the most vigorous grower.
Dorman wanted to name this beautiful
dark iris for Josephine Shanks of Houston
and because the name was already taken,
asked Josephine what she would like it
called. Josephine’s mother and
grandmother were also named Josephine
but people called her mother “Empress”
or “Empie.” Josephine, the younger,
asked Dorman to use Empress Josephine
so the plant could in some way be named
for Josephine’s mother. It was introduced
in 1990 along with six other plants. One
of them, ‘Festival’s Acadian’ (1990), is an
interesting red-purple with yellow halos
Fall 2007
Fleur de Lis: The Journal of the Society for Louisiana Irises

8
and dots toward the edge of the falls, and
it has gathered a lot of attention.
By the time Dorman began introducing
his irises, Marie Caillet was retired and
living full time at her home in Little Elm,
Texas. She was growing many of
Dorman’s plants and readers of the SLI
newsletter were learning her thoughts on
them each year. Marie had a major
influence on Dorman’s hybridizing over the
years. When visiting Lafayette during her
frequent trips back, Marie was always out
to visit Dorman in his garden to discuss
the plants.
Marie especially loves Louisianas for
their garden worthiness, and she had a role
in Dorman becoming even more rigorous
in his demands for his plants. Having pretty
flowers is important, but the plant must also
grow well and look good in the garden.
Flowers should open properly and be
proportionately correct in size with the
stalk. Plant vigor and the ability to survive
on its own are prized. Visitors have seen
highly publicized seedlings in Dorman’s
garden growing with no special care and
©Robert Treadway
‘Frederick Douglass’
‘Praline Festival’
Sandy Duhon (left), and Dorman visit with a friend, ca. 1980.
seemingly neglected. Some hybridizers
may be tempted to post guards but he
seems unfazed by the possibility of losing
them.
The year 1992 saw the introduction
of two great sibling beauties, ‘Praline
Festival’ and ‘Rokki Rockwell.’ ‘Praline
Festival’ has gone on to win a Mary
Swords DeBaillon Medal, the highest
award given by SLI. ‘Rokki Rockwell,’ a
beautiful yellow-gold, hasn’t gotten the
same recognition although many iris
growers think it should. ‘Valera’ (Arny
1980) was used as a parent. Dorman later
found that it tends to give muddy colored
seedlings but also can give good stalks,
nice large flowers, and interesting color
shades as evidenced in these two plants.
A couple of years later in 1994, another
set of siblings were released. From parents
with a rather involved lineage and named
after beauty salon clients, ‘Camille Durand
Foret,’ is a beautiful yellow; ‘Jean Bush’
has a pleasing red coloration with halos
and serrated edges. Neither one has gotten
the recognition it probably deserves—
likely due in part to inadequate distribution.
And then Dorman rested—for 6 years.
And it was good because six beautiful irises
were introduced in 2000. Probably the
most popular, ‘Great White Hope,’ is a
‘Suzie G’
Fleur de Lis: The Journal of the Society for Louisiana Irises Fall 2007

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©Tim Nutt
©Tom Dillard
Marie Caillet and Dorman in Marie’s garden during the 2003 SLI Convention
tall dark two-toned beauty that screams
“here I am.” Dorman likes the way its
foliage tends to reach out to greet the
viewer. ‘Longue Vue’ is an absolutely
beautiful ruffled elegant white. ‘Miss
Gerties Bonnet,’ named after a hat
Dorman’s mother wore, is one of this
author’s favorite flowers. ‘Cajun Love
Story,’ ‘Lafayette Honey,’ and ‘Chuck
Begnaud’ were also released in 2000, and
each is widely appreciated. Dorman’s
2000 catalog also included a picture of a
seedling referred to as a future
introduction. It’s the beautiful blue with
halos seen at the Gordon Rabalais garden
on tour in 2007 and will be introduced as
Fall 2007
‘Elaine Bourque’
‘Hector Duhon,’ the name of Sandy’s
father.
Dorman had two irises released for the
Pacific Flora 2004 program in
Hamamatsu, Japan and Rochester, New
York—‘Frederick Douglass’ (2004) is a
beautiful and graceful dark purple while
‘Friend’s Song’ (2004), is a bi-toned pink
with dominant dark green style arms.
Those who know Dorman, realize he
is a kind and compassionate man but also
one of strong convictions and opinions.
When talking about Louisianas, one can
sense his excitement and enthusiasm
toward the subject. And it tends to be
contagious. Dorman’s number one goal is
to hybridize a black iris with a halo. ‘Easter
‘Marie Delores’
Fleur de Lis: The Journal of the Society for Louisiana Irises
‘Longue Vue’ growing among Virginia
Sweet Spire (Itea virginica)
Tide’ (Arny 1979), may be Dorman’s
favorite iris and he says it tends to throw
halos. It is a parent of both his ‘Great
White Hope’ and ‘Longue Vue’ and linebreeding
suggested a cross of the two. One
of the resulting seedlings flew in the face
of intention—it’s the recently registered
and soon to be introduced ‘Elaine
Bourque,’ a spectacular plicata and a
sensation as a seedling at the 2003 SLI
convention.
But ‘Elaine Bourque’ is not black and
its halo is wrong. Dorman does have a
seedling, #113-95-3, which produces an
incredible two toned blackish flower.
Whether it has the other plant
characteristics that Dorman requires in a
plant for introduction remains to be seen
but regardless, several iris growers are
happy it’s in their gardens.
Marvin Granger gave Dorman several
of his double irises before he died with the
hope that Dorman would continue work
with them, and he has. It could also be
said that some of Dorman’s work is
carrying on the Arny line. He’s also
working for short plants and is using I.
brevicaulis—but he is trying to get more
upright foliage and the flowers higher out
of the foliage. Dorman also has an interest
in true pinks. A look at the entries for
recent years in Dorman’s stud book will
find that almost all crosses involve his own
seedlings and indicate he’s at work on his
goals. Louisiana iris lovers can look
forward to seeing more introductions of
his fabulous irises.