2013 Winner of the Payne Medal: "Bewitching Twilight"

Our congratulations to Chad Harris, hybridizer of the award-winning Japanese iris "Bewitching Twilight," this year's winner of the Payne Medal.

"Bewitching Twilight" Photo credit:  Chad Harris

This medal is restricted to Japanese irises (JI). It is named in honor of W. Arlie Payne (1881-1971).

From the Society for Japanese Irises (SJI):

The Payne Medal (named for W. Arlie Payne) is the highest award given by the American Iris Society that a Japanese iris can receive in its class. Payne Medal winners are then eligible to win the Dykes Medal, which is the highest award an iris can receive from The American Iris Society. Prior to 1992 the highest award a Japanese Iris could receive was the Payne Award.

The American Iris Society Encyclopedia has the following information on this lovely pastel beauty:

'Bewitching Twilight' (Chad Harris, registered 1999). Seedling 89JE6. JI (6+ F.), height 41" (104 cm), mid season bloom. White ground, heavily brushed light blue (RHS 101C) fading to pastel blue (101D), signal yellow (2B) radiating veins extending halfway length of falls; style arms heavy cream yellow. Knight in Armor X Marx seedling Aitken 2000. Payne Medal 2013.

More information about Japanese irises can be found at the web page of the Society for Japanese Irises.