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 2022 Sass Medal Winner

'APPLE CRISP'

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.

'APPLE CRISP'

photo by Jeanette Graham

'Apple Crisp' (Paul Black, R. 2013) Seedling #R202B. IB, 26" (66 cm), Midseason to late bloom. Standards mid gold, mid garnet wash over center, yellow-gold rim; style arms mid gold; falls mid gold, mid brown-tan veins/wash beside beards, mid yellow patch below beard, remainder heavily washed garnet in center and lighter towards mid yellow rim; beards gold; pronounced spicy fragrance. Seedling M18A: ('High Master' x seedling J212A: ('Key To Success' selfed)) X 'Love Spell'. Introduced by Mid-America Garden 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 2021 Sass Medal Winners

'BACKLIT BEAUTY' and 'CODE OF HONOR'

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. mesopotamia and I. cypriana.

Editor’s Note: Due to the pandemic last year, the American Iris Society Board of Directors suspended garden awards. As a result, and for only this year, two medals will be award in this area. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

BACKLIT BEAUTY--image by Richard Tasco

'Backlit Beauty' (Richard Tasco, R. 2010) Seedling #01-IB-49-01. IB, 25" (64 cm), Late midseason bloom. Standards rosy spectrum violet (RHS 82B) lightly veined white, color blends out to white edges and side bottoms; style arms white, slight lilac blush near midribs; falls darker bishops violet (81A) lightening toward edges, lightly veined around beards to shoulders, bright canary yellow at top of petal; beards white base tipped tangerine in throat and middle, canary yellow at end; lightly ruffled, luminata; slight fragrance. 'Spirit World' X 'Iced Wine'. Superstition 2010.

CODE OF HONOR--image by Mid-America

'Code Of Honor' (Thomas Johnson, R. 2013). Seedling #TB91A. IB, 25" (64 cm), Midseason bloom. Icy blue-white self; beards medium blue; slight fragrance. 'Bluebeard's Ghost' X 'Mythology'. Mid-America 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 in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

2019 Sass Medal Winner

 The American Iris Society

Announces the

2018 Hans and Jacob Sass Medal Winner

'Leave the Light On'

Riley Probst

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.

Image by Hugh Stout

Seedling #U4WHXHM. IB, 22 (56 cm), Early, midseason and late bloom. Standards blue-purple with 1/16th gold edge; style arms bright yellow, vertical purple veining on style crests; falls blue-purple luminata pattern, bright yellow area with 1/4" white spear extending downward from beard; beards orange; pronounced sweet fragrance. 'Wild Hair' X 'High Master'. Fleur de Lis Garden 2013. Honorable Mention 2015. Award Of Merit 2017.

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 the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

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.

2013 Hans and Jacob Sass Medal Winner "Rimaround"

By Renee Fraser

We are pleased to announce the winner of the 2013 Hans and Jacob Sass Medal, 

'Rimaround' hybridized by Terry Aitken of Washington!

'Rimaround' Aitken  Photo credit:  Aurora Borealis Iris Garden

Here is the description of this lovely Intermediate Bearded Iris from the AIS Wiki:

'Rimaround' (J. Terry Aitken, R. 2007) Sdlg. 00M20D. IB, 22" (56 cm), ML. S. white, heavy purple plicata stitching; style arms purple; F. white, very round, 3/16" purple plicata band; beards white tipped purple. 'Art Deco' X 'Fairy Ring'. Aitken 2007. Honorable Mention 2009; Award of Merit 2011.

In 1966 The American Iris Society awarded the first Hans and Jacob Sass Medal. This medal is restricted to intermediate bearded (IB) irises. The IBs are 16-27” tall with flowers that are 3½"-5" wide. The IBs fit both in size and bloom time between the SDBs and the TBs. The Hans and Jacob Sass Medals are provided by the Median Iris Society and named in honor of Hans Sass (1868-1949) and Jacob Sass (1872-1945).

For more information about median irises in general and Intermediate Bearded Irises in particular, visit the Median Iris Society Website.