The Morgan-Wood Medal is restricted to Siberian (SIB) irises. It is named in honor of F. Cleveland Morgan (1882-1962) and Ira E. Wood (1903-1977). F. Cleveland Morgan was a pioneer Canadian breeder of Siberian irises and a founding member of AIS. Some of his magnificent cultivars still enhance gardens around the globe. Three of his best known irises are 'Caezar,' 'Caezar's Brother' and 'Tropic Night'. Ira E. Wood, hybridized Siberian irises, but he introduced only one cultivar 'Ong's Hat.' He also served as a director of AIS and as its second vice president.
Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.
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Siberian iris 'Black Joker' photo by Mike Unser |
'Black Joker' (Marty Schafer and Jan Sacks, R. 2013) Seedling S06-43-1. Height 19 in. (48 cm). Midseason to late bloom. Standards yellow-lavender, violet wash in center, pale yellow edge; style arms pearl with shades of blue-violet and aqua blue; Falls deep yellow-purple, diffuse gold rim, yellow signal heavily veined and speckled very dark purple. 'Hot Sketch' X seedling S02-13-13: (seedling S99-65-12: (seedling S97-36B-1: ('Summer Revels' x 'Tom Schaefer') x seedling S96-67-10, 'Lady's Chain' sibling) x seedling S99-77-1, 'Gone Plummin' pollen parent). Introduced by Joe Pye Weed's Garden in 2013.
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.