The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Sydney B. Mitchell Award Winner

'CAUGHT IN THE WIND'

The Mitchell Medal is restricted to Pacific Coast Native (PCN) irises. It is named in honor of Sydney B. Mitchell (1878-1951). Professor Sydney Mitchell was an educator. He became Acting Librarian at the University of California during WW I, and later founded and became first director of the Graduate School of Librarianship at that university. He was also one of the organizers of the American Iris Society.

Tom Craig wrote this of him: "Sydney looked upon plant breeding as a long term international effort in which individuals from all over the world should co-operate and add generation after generation to a real human achievement. He made me feel a real part of this and more particularly a part of a special work started by William Mohr and carried on by himself. Sydney generously gave flowers and plants of seedling for further encouragement with this work."

Mitchell was also interested in the native irises of the West Coast, and promoted them at every opportunity. He took great pride in the plantings of PCNs in his own garden. He had a large collection of various forms of Iris innominata and I. douglasiana. 

Previous award winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Pacific Coast Native Iris 'Caught In The Wind'
Photo by Leonine Iris

'Caught In The Wind' (Joseph Ghio, R. 2012) Seedling #LP-145B2. CA, 16" (41 cm). Early midseason bloom. Standards blue-violet, lighter blue edges; style arms dark blue-purple; Falls creamy white, petal edges lined blue violet; yellow blaze lined over with blue violet. 'Line Drawing' X 'This is It'. Introduced by Bay View Gardens in 2012.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Founders of SIGNA Medal Winner

 'LAVENDER MOONBEAMS'

The Founders of SIGNA Medal is restricted to species irises (SPEC) and is named to honor the founding members of the Species Iris Group of North America (SIGNA). Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Species iris 'Lavender Moonbeams'

photo by Rick Tasco

'Lavender Moonbeams' (Richard Tasco R. 2014) Seedling #00-UNG-02-01. SPEC (unguicularis), 12" (30 cm). Midseason to late bloom. Standards light lavender, lightly veined; style arms light lavender, light golden maize sides; falls light lavender, lightly veined, white area veined lavender covers top half of petal on both sides of signal, signal orange-yellow halfway down petal; pronounced sweet fragrance. I. unguicularis alba X unknown, possibly I. unguicularis "Marondera". Introduced by Superstition Iris Gardens in 2014.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including award of merit and honorable mention, will be published in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 William Mohr Medal Winner

'SIGNAL BUTTE'

The Mohr Medal is restricted to irises of one-quarter or more aril content that do not meet the more restrictive requirements of the Clarence G. White Medal.

It is named in honor of William A. Mohr (1871-1923). About ten years before his death, Mohr began working with irises. He obtained the tetraploid Asiatic species, as well as regelia and oncocyclus irises, and communicated with other iris hybridizers such as Ellen Sturtevant and Samuel Stillman Berry. The two greatest achievements of William Mohr's hybridizing programs are probably his plicatas and his innovative and beautiful arilbreds. His great plicatas are 'Los Angeles' and the iris that won the first American Dykes Medal, 'San Francisco.' Mohr's most important arilbred iris is the magnificent 'William Mohr.' 

Arilbred iris 'Signal Butte'

Photo by Riley Probst

'Signal Butte' (Richard Tasco, R. 2016). Seedling#. 11-AM-02-10. AB (OGB-), 23" (58 cm). Early to late bloom. Standards spectrum violet (RHS 82B), lightly veined; style arms cream-white, light spectrum violet sides and crest; falls spectrum violet, dime-sized black signal surrounded by red-plum wash; beard hairs based white, golden brown in throat and middle, white ends; slight sweet fragrance. 'Energizer' X 'Replicator'. Introduced by Superstition Iris Gardens in 2016.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including award of merit and honorable mention, will be published in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Sass Medal Winner

'LAKOTA'

The Sass Medal is restricted to intermediate bearded (IB) irises. It is named in honor of Hans Sass (1868-1949) and Jacob Sass (1872-1945). They bred irises, peonies, daylilies, lilacs, gladiolus, lilies and other garden plants. When they became charter members of the AIS, they had been breeding irises
for more than a decade. Their irises were famous for being strong growers because they used 'Amas' and I. trojana as tetraploid stud irises instead of the tender I. mesopotamica and I. cypriana.

Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Intermediate Bearded Iris 'Lakota'
photo by Judy Schneider

'Lakota' (Marky Smith, R. 2013) Seedling #09-16B. IB, 23" (58 cm), Early to late midseason bloom. Standards grey-orange (RHS 168D) petal edges, centers and rib lavender, greyer tan 86D; style arms grey-orange (167D); falls petal rims grey-orange, upper fall and shoulders darker smoke-orange (167B), fine veins flaring from beard, lower half of center violet, greyer than 80C, grey-orange veining ending in orange rims; beards greyed red-orange (180B); ruffled; luminata plicata. 'Musician' X 'Amusing'. Salmon Creek 2014.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. 

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 C. G. White Medal Winner

'ENCHANTER'S SPELL'

Since 1993, the Clarence G. White Memorial Medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with 1/2 or more aril ancestry. When Clarence G. White began his work with aril irises, little was known about the complexity of iris genetics. White assembled the largest collection of aril irises in the world and conducted thousands of breeding experiments to obtain viable, fertile seedlings. One of his goals was to develop strong, pure Oncocylus hybrids.

Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards. 

Arilbred iris 'Enchanter's Spell'
photo by Rick Tasco

'Enchanter's Spell' (Richard Tasco, R. 2013) Seedling 07-AB-51-04. AB (OGB), 36" (91 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards bishop's-violet (RHS 81B), veined darker; style arms light orange-maize, burnt orange-brown rim, lightly veined oxblood-red crest; Falls slightly recurved oxblood-red (183C), lightly veined, signal medium sized, plush black chevron; beards gold-brown in middle and throat, burgundy-brown ends; light purple based foliage. 02-AB-26-03: ('Energizer' x 'Bagdad's Folly') X 'Kalifa's Robe'. Introduced by Superstition Iris Gardens in  2013.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Caparne-Welch Medal Winner

 'WEE DRAGONS'

The Caparne-Welch Medal is restricted to miniature dwarf bearded (MDB) irises. It is named in honor of William John Caparne (1855-1940) and Walter Welch (1887-1980). Caparne worked extensively breeding various dwarf iris species and was the first iris hybridizer to concentrate on smaller irises. Most of the dwarf iris cultivars grown in gardens in the first quarter of the 20th century were products of Caparne's hybridizing efforts. Walter Welch was the founder of the Dwarf Iris Society. After moving to Middlebury, Indiana, he met Paul Cook and began hybridizing irises. He shared Cook's enthusiasm for dwarf irises and set out to develop new forms for the garden.

Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Miniature Dwarf Bearded Iris 'Wee Dragons'
photo by Jeanette Graham

'Wee Dragons' (Lynda Miller, R. 2016). Seedling# 6311A. MDB, 4.5"-5" (11-13 cm). Early midseason bloom. Standards deep red-purple; style arms butter yellow, rib red-violet; falls velvety dark burgundy; beards yellow-orange in throat, light blue middle and end. 'Mosaic' X 'Snips'. Mid-America 2017.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Cook-Douglas Medal Winner

 'CHEERFUL CHIPMUNK'

 The Cook-Douglas Medal is restricted to standard dwarf bearded (SDB) irises. It is named in honor of Paul Cook (1891-1963) and Geddes Douglas (1902-1993). Paul Cook's work with dwarf irises was truly pioneering. His early breeding of dwarf irises led to a series of I. arenaria hybrids, the most notable being 'Keepsake,' 'Tampa,' and 'Promise.' He was the first to use the true I. pumila in his breeding programs, and this resulted in the introduction of the first of the great stud irises in the standard dwarf class: 'Baria,' 'Fairy Flax,' and 'Green Spot.'

Geddes Douglas was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1902. Douglas was a chemist and businessman. In the early 1950s, he founded the Geddes Douglas Garden Center in Nashville. He became a leader in the Tennessee Nurserymen's Association, and served a term as president of the Southern Nursery Association.

Previous awards winners can be found at: https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Standard dwarf bearded iris 'CHEERFUL CHIPMUNK'
Photo by Jeanette Graham

'Cheerful Chipmunk' (Michael Sutton, R. 2016) Seedling AZ-595-A. SDB, 10" (25 cm), Early to midseason bloom. Standards pale butter yellow; style arms cream; Falls pale yellow, chartreuse thumbprint with beech brown veining; beard hairs based white, tips yellow; slight spicy fragrance. 'Reddy Freddie' X 'Puddy Tat'. Introduced by Sutton's Iris Gardens in 2017.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including  Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Williamson-White Medal Winner

  'CANDY BASKET'

The Williamson-White Medal is restricted to miniature tall bearded (MTB) irises. It is named in honor of E. B. Williamson (1877-1933), his daughter Mary Williamson (1909-1987) and Alice White (1886-1969). Although others had introduced irises that fit into the miniature tall bearded iris class before Williamson, he and his daughter were the first to breed them as cultivars in a distinctive class of irises. They were apparently byproducts of breeding for tall bearded irises. In the early 1950s, Alice White of Hemet, California began a crusade to gain recognition for the assets of these wonderful smaller irises. She organized table iris robins and wrote many articles for the AIS Bulletin and gardening magazines promoting their virtues.

Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Miniature tall bearded iris 'CANDY BASKET'
photo by Jeanette Graham

'Candy Basket' (Chad Harris, R. 2015) Seedling 08MTB1. MTB, 22" (56 cm), Very early bloom. Standards warm caramel (RHS 166B), slight violet cast; style arms honey mustard-tan (163C); falls off white ground heavily veined black cherry-red (187A), faint golden rim; beards bright lemon-yellow (13A); slight spicy fragrance. 'Redrock Princess' X . 'Butterscotch Wine'. Pleasant 2016.. Introduced by Mount Pleasant Iris Farm in 2016.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

 

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Knowlton Medal

 'SICILIAN ORANGE'

The Knowlton Medal is restricted to border bearded (BB) irises. It is named in honor of Harold W. Knowlton (1888-1968) of Auburndale, Massachusetts, a tireless promoter of the border bearded class of irises. Bennett Jones wrote in The World of Irises: "Harold Knowlton was among the first to make deliberate selections of smaller plants. Two of his 1950 introductions, ‘Pearl Cup’ ... and ‘Cricket’... display the desirable features we still seek in modern border irises." Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Border bearded iris 'Sicilian Orange'
photo by Christine Cosi

'Sicilian Orange' (Michael Sutton, R. 2016). Seedling# Z-2010-A. BB, 26" (66 cm). Midseason to late bloom. Standards yellow-orange, flushed peach-pink at midribs; style arms yellow-orange; F. ruby red, veined yellow-orange, ¼˝ yellow-orange edge; beards bright orange; ruffled; slight musky fragrance. 'Bottle Rocket' X 'Fruit Stripe'. Introduced by Sutton's Iris Gardens in 2016. 

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Wister Medal Winners

'RISE LIKE A PHOENIX' - 'BLINDED BY THE LIGHT'-

'NINJA WARRIOR'

The Wister Medal is restricted to tall bearded (TB) irises. It is named in honor of John C. Wister (1887-1982). Three medals are awarded each year. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

John C. Wister led the organizing meeting that created the American Iris Society and became its first president, a position he held for 14. He guided the Society through its formative years. He was widely recognized as a man of rare management skills, leadership ability, and the highest ethical standards. R. S. Sturtevant wrote of him: "Probably few current members realize that the AIS started through the efforts and initiative of one man, John C. Wister...."

Tall bearded iris 'RISE LIKE A PHOENIX'

photo by Jeanette Graham

'Rise Like A Phoenix' (Paul Black, R. 2017). Seedling# U53A. TB, 46" (117 cm), Midseason to late bloom. Standards bright mid gold, mid auburn veining and wash over base, lighter and narrowing in mid ¹⁄₃ of petal and darkening to upper ¹⁄₃; style arms mid apricot-gold; falls dark velvety red-black, cream haft and center just below beard, veined dark red-black; beards dark marigold; pronounced sweet fragrance. Seedling# R76A: ('Opening Number' x seedling# M29DD: ('Ransom Note' x 'What’s My Line')) X 'Reckless Abandon'. Introduced by Mid-America Garden 2017.

Tall bearded iris 'BLINDED BY THE LIGHT'

photo by Jeanette Graham

'Blinded By The Light' (Larry Lauer, R. 2016). Seedling# A33-32. TB, 32" (81 cm), Early to midseason bloom. Standards nasturtium orange; style arms marigold orange; falls tangerine-orange; beards mandarin red; ruffled; slight sweet fragrance. 'Honeycomb' x 'Shivaree'. Introduced by Lauer's Flowers 2017.

Tall bearded iris 'NINJA WARRIOR'
photo by Christine Cosi

'Ninja Warrior' (Lynda Miller, R. 2014) Seedling# 8710B. TB, 27" (69 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards smoky pink blending to dark orchid center ribs; style arms smoky pink, striped plum-purple; falls velvet black, purple lines by beard; beard hairs based purple, tips sienna-tangerine; slight sweet fragrance. 'Royal Togs' X unknown. Introduced by Mid-America Garden 2016.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Dykes Medal Winner

 'Perry Dyer'

First awarded in 1927, the American Dykes Medal is the highest award of the American Iris Society (AIS). It is named for William Rickatson Dykes (1877-1925) and is awarded to no more than one iris per year. Irises are eligible as a Dykes Medal candidate for three years following the winning of a classification medal. Only AIS-accredited judges may vote. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Tall bearded iris 'Perry Dyer' 
photo by Jeanette Graham

'Perry Dyer' (Paul Black, R. 2017). Seedling# T132F. AB (OGB-), 26" (66 cm), Midseason to late bloom. Standards palest lavender; style arms same, orchid ridge; falls palest cream-lavender fading to near white, dark plum-wine spot ¼ way out, darker extended veins; beard hair based light grey, mid-brown in throat and middle, end light brown. 'Galaxina' sibling.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

IRISES: The Bulletin of the AIS - Summer 2024 Edition

By Andi Rivarola

A warm welcome to those who are seeing IRISES, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society for the first time. If you are a member of The American Iris Society I hope you enjoy this new issue.

The Spring 2024 issue of the AIS Bulletin will be available online soon, accessible via the Emembers section of the AIS website. The print copy will be mailed via the U.S. Post Office. On the cover, 'Spicy Mustard’ (2021, SPEC-X) by Jill Copeland.

Note: to access this area of the website, you must have a current AIS Emembership. (AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership.) Please see the Electronic Membership Information are of the AIS website for more details.

The Society for Louisiana Iris & the Spuria Iris Society Convention put together a lovely convention this year. This event is covered on a beautiful article with lots of images, on pages 11 through 15.

A recap of the AIS National Convention held in the Portland, Oregon area. The Convention was called New Horizons and you can read it and look at some gorgeous images on pages 16 - 21.

An initial article of Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm visited by many convention attendees in Washougal, Washington during the AIS National Convention. The article with beautiful shots is on pages 22 - 25.

Miller's Manor Gardens was part of the National Convention as well. Read all about it on pages 26 - 28.

A new series of articles about iris hybridizers starts with this issue. Spotlight on Hybridizers — The Next Generation features two fantastic hybridizers, Steve Kelly and Diana Ford. 

Claire Schneider and Jody Nolin had fun in Italy and France, judging irises for the iris competitions in those countries. But, they called their article, This Wasn't a Vacation; It Was Work! Do we believe them? You be the judge by reading their article on pages 34 through 37. 

And, then Claire Schneider put together a fun article about A Visit the Cayeux Garden while in France. Read it on pages 38 - 40.

There's so much more on this issue. Don't miss it!

/./././

Support the Work of The American Iris Society by Becoming a Member:

Not a member of the American Iris Society? Please see our website for information about becoming one: http://irises.org/
Happy Gardening!

• Annual Print Membership receives the printed version of Irises, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society, published four times annually.

• Annual E-membership participants can view the online version of Irises, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society. Also, has access to the online iris checklist.

• The Annual Full Membership receives both benefits described above.

• Participate in AIS’s bi-monthly Webinar Series featuring AIS experts from around the U.S.

• Get connected with AIS members via our Facebook Group Iris Lovers, and other social media channels.

• Get to know about lesser known irises, such as species, spuria, Japanese, Louisiana, Siberian and other beardless irises.

• Participate in the Annual convention. The next convention will be in Portland, OR in 2024.  

• Support AIS's Mission of education, conservation, research, preserving historical archives, and outreach projects.

• Did you know that The American Iris Society is the registration authority for all rhizomatous irises worldwide?  

• The Iris Encyclopedia is available 24-7, 365 days a year, and filled with a wealth of iris knowledge. Stop by for a visit!