Payne Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Payne Medal 2018

'Kimono Silk'

'Kimono Silk'--image by Brock Heilman

'Kimono Silk' (Bob Bauer and John Coble, R. 2008). Falls white, central dusting of bright blue between the white rays, yellow signal; style arms pure white, crests same. 'Lake Effect' X 'Frosted Pyramid'.

This medal is restricted to Japanese irises (JI). It is named in honor of W. Arlie Payne (1881-1971). W. Arlie Payne was at first interested in peonies, but in the late 1920's, he "discovered" Japanese irises. He started hybridizing Japanese in irises in 1932. Over the next three and a half decades, he raised many thousands of seedlings. One of the most exceptional aspects of his breeding program was that it was developed in the early years using only six cultivars of the Edo type. Payne took line breeding to a new level of intensity. The American Iris Society awarded Arlie Payne its coveted Hybridizers Medal in 1964. When he died at the age of 90, in 1971, he was universally revered as the world's premier breeder of Japanese irises

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Eric Nies Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Eric Nies Medal 2018

‘Lemon Chiffon Pie’

'Lemon Chiffon Pie'--image by Jan Lauritzen

'Lemon Chiffon Pie' (Anna and David Cadd, R. 2006). Creamy yellow self; large gold signal blending to cream; ruffled. 'Media Luz' X 'Candle Lace'. Cadd's Beehive 2006. Honorable Mention 2010; Award of Merit 2014.

This medal is restricted to spuria irises. It is named in honor of Eric Nies (1884-1952). Eric Nies was born in Saugatuck, Michigan, but soon after Nies moved to California, he became interested in irises of all types. He obtained his first spuria irises from Jennett Dean, who operated one of the first iris specialist nurseries in the U.S. Spurias were his special interest. His first cross was with I. orientalis with 'Monspur’ He interbred seedlings from this cross, and in the second generation there was a virtual explosion of color: blue, lavender, brown, bronze and cream. During his lifetime, Nies was recognized as the foremost breeder of spuria irises in the world. Marion Walker took over his seedlings and breeding lines after he died in 1952.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Mary Swords DeBallion Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal 2018

'Deja Voodoo'

This medal is restricted to Louisiana (LA) irises. It is named in honor of Mary Swords DeBaillon (1888-1940). When Mary DeBaillon realized how varied Louisiana irises were and what lovely garden plants they were, she amassed the largest collection of Louisiana irises in the world. She was tireless in promoting these irises as good garden plants and in encouraging any who would listen to grow them. She gained considerable fame as a naturalist and native plant collector.

'Deja Voodoo'--image by Patrick O'Connor

'Deja Voodoo' (Patrick O'Connor, R. 2011) Seedling 08-11. LA, 32 (81 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards, falls and style arms deep purple; bright yellow arrowhead signal; lightly ruffled. 'German Coast' X 'Henry Rowlan'.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Mohr Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

THE WILLIAM A. MOHR MEDAL

‘SRI LANKA’

'Sri Lanka'--image by Jeanette Graham

‘SRI LANKA’ (T.Johnson ‘10). Sri Lanka has many excellent traits including strong growth and clumps loaded with stalks having 2 branches and up to 6 buds. White standards have prominent, strong gold midribs and edges that curl back slightly to reveal yellow styles. Slightly recurved light greenish yellow falls have diffuse mid gold spots encircling soft yellow to tangerine beards.

This 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.'

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

CG White Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

THE CLARENCE G. WHITE MEDAL

'BYZANTINE RUBY'

'Byzantine Ruby'--image by Lowell Baumuck

'Byzantine Ruby' (Lowell Baumunk, R. 2009). Standards and style arms lavender lightly veined darker; Falls. lavender, slightly more red than standards, 1½" bright maroon-red signal, darker near diffuse yellow beards. Honorable Mention 2012. Award of Merit 2015.

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.

The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Williamson-White Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The 2018 Williamson-White Medal

'Holiday In Mexico'

'Holiday In Mexico'--image by Riley Probst

'Holiday In Mexico' (Riley Probst, R. 2011) has an early midseason bloom period. Standards and style arms bright yellow; falls flared, white ground veined bright red-purple extending to 1/8"yellow edge; beards white, yellow in throat; slight fragrance. 'Mini Wabash' X 'Welch's Reward'. Fleur de Lis 2012.

This 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 1950's, Alice White of Hemet, California began a crusade to gain recognition of 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.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day the other medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

2018 Cook-Douglas Medal Winner

 The American Iris Society

Announces the

2018 Cook-Douglas Medal Winner

‘My Cher’

This 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. 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. Geddes Douglas was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1902. Douglas's historically most important hybridizing achievements were with dwarf irises. Working with stock from Paul Cook, Douglas's crosses of I pumila with tall bearded irises created the race of irises that came to be known as 'lilliputs.'

'My Cher'--image by Paul Black

'My Cher' (Paul Black, R. 2011) flowers in the midseason to late bloom. Standards mid brassy old gold, subtle grey white textured veins, base light grey violet, darker along midrib; style arms warm white, mid yellow crests, falls large white luminata patch blending to mid violet blue becoming darker toward edge, narrow brassy old gold blended band; beards orange in throat, light orange in middle, light orange yellow at ends, hairs based white, white dart at end of beard; slight spicy fragrance. 'Trust In Dreams' X 'Astro'.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day the other medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

2018 Sass Medal Winner

 The American Iris Society

Announces the

2018 Sass Medal Winner

'Cat In The Hat'

This medal is restricted to intermediate bearded (IB) irises. It is named in honor of Hans Sass (1868-1949) and Jacob Sass (1872-1945). Both of the Sass brothers bred all types of irises that would grow in Nebraska, but their early fame as hybridizers came for their work producing intermediate bearded irises. Crossing dwarf irises with tall bearded irises, they were the first American breeders to develop many new colors and forms in the intermediate class. They saw the great advantage of intermediate bearded irises on the windy prairie, and the value of a type of iris that filled out the bloom season between the early dwarf irises and the later tall bearded irises. 

'Cat In The Hat'--image by Paul Black

'Cat In The Hat' (Paul Black, R. 2009) is a late midseason to very late blooming IB. Standards medium raspberry, overall network of darker veins; style arms medium pinkish-raspberry; falls cream, very wide medium raspberry plicata band covering 2/3 of petal, medium raspberry plicata lines and dots over center 1/3 and wide stripe from end of beard to 2/3 of way down center, variable amount of markings on center; beards orange, white at end; ruffled; slight musky fragrance. Introduced by Mid-America in 2009, it won an Honorable Mention 2011 and an Award of Merit 2014.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day the other medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

2018 Knowlton Medal

The American Iris Society Announces

The 2018 Knowlton Medal Winner

'Sheer Excitement'

This 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. 

'Sheer Excitement'--image by Rick Tasco

'Sheer Excitement' (Richard Tasco) blooms in the early midseason. Standards violet (RHS 83B) veined lighter, lightening toward slight tan edge; style arms cold white, faint violet blush toward fringed crest, slight yellow blush on top of crest; falls slightly darker pansy-violet (83A) sanded and veined lighter toward slight tan edge, very bright primrose yellow (4A) areas becoming white areas on sides of beards; beards tangerine, white at end; luminata pattern; citronella fragrance.

While Mr. Tasco has won many medals including the Dykes, this is his first median medal award.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Wister Medal Winner 2018

 The American Iris Society Announces
The 2018 Wister Medal Winners

Notta Lemon
Bottle Rocket
Strawberry Shake

This medal is restricted to tall bearded (TB) irises. It is named in honor of John C. Wister. Three medals are awarded each year.

John C. Wister led the organizing meeting that created the American Iris Society and became its first president, a position he held for fourteen years. He guided the society through its formative years.

This year's three Wister Medals are:

'Notta Lemon'--image Howard Dash

'Notta Lemon' (Tom Burseen, R. 2009). Early to late bloom. Standards and style arms lemon yellow-gold; falls white, lemon yellow-gold edges, yellow texture veins; beards gold, large; very ruffled; pronounced spicy fragrance. 'That's All Folks' X seedling 02-169: (seedling 98-521, 'Jaw Dropper' pollen parent, x seedling A166, 'Vegas Bound' pollen parent). Burseen 2010. Honorable Mention 2012, President's Cup 2013, Award of Merit 2014.

'Bottle Rocket'--Image by Mike Sutton

'Bottle Rocket' (Michael Sutton, R. 2009). Seedling# U-524-A. TB, 35" (89 cm). Early midseason bloom and rebloom. Standards orange buff flushed pink at midribs; style arms buff orange; falls ruby red veined orange, lighter veining around carrot beards, greyed-orange 1/4" rim; slight musky fragrance. Seedling# S-702-A: ('Connie Sue' x 'Let's Boogie') X seedling# R-687-A: ('Return Address' x 'Tropical Delight'). Sutton 2010. Honorable Mention 2012, Award of Merit 2014.

'Strawberry Shake'--image by Robin Shadlow

'Strawberry Shake' (Keith Keppel, R. 2011). Seedling# 05-92B. TB, 36" (91 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards hydrangea pink (M&P 2-E-7); style arms peach (9-A-5); falls peach to orient pink (9-A-6), center creamier pink (9-AB-4); beards shrimp (1-E-10). 'In Love Again' X seedling# 99-115C: ('Crystal Gazer' x seedling# 96-35C, 'Adoregon' sibling).

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day the other medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.