About
Crafton Hills Iris Farm

Hi, I’m Lori and I’ve enjoyed irises my entire life—but at some point, enjoying them turned into collecting them… then growing them… and finally, a hobby run amuck.

What started in our Redlands, California backyard soon took over a hillside, which we converted into 55 terraced planting beds so I could begin hybridizing and selling irises commercially. Hybridizing has deepened my appreciation for iris genetics, flower form, and growing irises from seed.

For many years, I relied on hybridizing and growing techniques developed in Australia, whose climate closely matched our (then) Southern California conditions. We’ve since relocated our farm to Gardnerville, Nevada—a very different growing environment and an exciting new chapter.

I’ll be sharing what works, what doesn’t, and how we adapt our growing and hybridizing practices along the way. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook, or look for #WednesdayWorkShare for a behind-the-scenes peek at the work behind the blooms.

Happy Iris Growing ~

Why the Name “Crafton Hills” Iris Farm?

Although we’re now growing in Gardnerville, Nevada, our name reflects where our story began.

Crafton Hills Iris Farm was founded in the Crafton Hills area of Redlands, California, where our first growing beds took shape and where we were supported by a friendly, generous community. Neighbors, gardeners, and fellow iris club members, encouraged and supported us from the very beginning—and their enthusiasm helped turn a backyard passion into a working farm.

When we relocated, we chose to keep the name Crafton Hills Iris Farm as a way to honor those roots. It reminds us where we started, the community that supported us, and the journey that brought us here.

So when people ask why we’re called Crafton Hills Iris Farm, we’re happy to share the story of how Redlands is a part of who we are as a farm.

About Crafton Hills Iris Farm

Crafton Hills Iris Farm, LLC is owned and operated by the Rhodes family and is dedicated to growing, preserving, and hybridizing exceptional Tall Bearded irises. What began as a small, niche-based farm has grown into a vibrant collection that reflects both our passion for irises and our commitment to supporting gardeners, collectors, and the iris community.

Our fields feature a diverse range of Tall Bearded irises, including:

Historic varieties listed with the Historic Iris Preservation Society (HIPS) and included in the Guardian Gardens (GG) program
Award-winning cultivars recognized with AIS Honorable Mention, Award of Merit, and the Dykes Medal
A dedicated hybridizing program, which uses both classic and newly introduced irises to create future Crafton Hills introductions

Crafton Hills Iris Farm also serves as the home of hybridizer Lori Rhodes, whose work focuses on breeding distinctive, garden-worthy irises with strong form, expressive color, and reliable performance. Lori’s cultivars are evaluated over multiple seasons before being selected for registration and introduction through the American Iris Society.

We are proud supporters of the American Iris Society (AIS), the Historic Iris Preservation Society (HIPS), and the Tall Bearded Iris Society, and we are active members of two AIS local clubs: the Inland Region Iris Society (IRIS) in Riverside, California, and the High Desert Iris Society (HDIS) based in Reno, Nevada.

Crafton Hills Iris Farm is listed in both the AIS Commercial Iris Farm Directory and the HIPS Garden Directory, reflecting our ongoing commitment to preservation, education, and the advancement of iris hybridizing.

Our Business History

Beginning in 2017 Crafton Hills Iris Farm became a class-2 business based in Redlands, CA, selling rhizomes online or at farmer’s markets. From 2018-2025 we were licensed through the CA Department of Food and Agriculture to sell nursery stock, and permitted to sell & ship iris rhizomes throughout the United States (License #D1781.001). In 2025 we became an LLC, obtained our Nevada Business License (NV20253320239), as well as obtained our Nevada Department of Agriculture Nursery Stock License (#10354). During thesummer of 2025 we moved our iris farm from California to a much larger location in Gardnerville, Nevada. We look forward to expanding our hybridizing program as well as our commercial offerings!

Privacy Policy

Our customer’s privacy is very important to us. We only gather personal information that is necessary to complete an order. We do not sell personal information about individual users, including name, address, email, phone numbers, to third parties. We do not sell or rent lists of users or use information about individual. users outside the scope of fulfilling orders from this site.