The American Iris Society Announces the 2024 Payne Medal Winner

 'COLUMBIA CREST'

The Payne Medal is restricted to Japanese irises (JI). It is named in honor of W. Arlie Payne (1881-1971). W. Arlie Payne was at first especially interested in peonies, but in the late 1920s, he "discovered" Japanese irises. He started hybridizing Japanese 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.

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

Japanese iris 'Columbia Crest'
photo by Chad Haris

'Columbia Crest' ( Chad Harris, R. 2014), Seedling 02JC13. JI (6 falls), 50" (127 cm), Late bloom. Style arms multiple, upright, flaring crests royal purple (RHS 90A); Falls royal purple blending to hyacinth blue (93B) around the bright gold-yellow (7A) signal. 'Night Angel' X 'Frosted Intrigue'. Introduced by Mt. Pleasant Iris farm in 2015.

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 2023 Payne Medal Winner

'KOTO HARP STRINGS'

The Payne Medal is restricted to Japanese irises (JI). It is named in honor of W. Arlie Payne (1881-1971). W. Arlie Payne was at first especially interested in peonies, but in the late 1920s, he "discovered" Japanese irises. He started hybridizing Japanese 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.

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

Japanese iris ‘Koto Harp Strings’
Photo by Neil Houghton

'Koto Harp Strings' (Chad Harris, R. 2015) Seedling 08JE1. JI (6 falls), Height 48 in. (122 cm), Very late bloom. Style arms white, flared upright white crest edged violet-blue; Falls violet-blue, predominant sharp white ray pattern to within ¼˝ of edge forming a distinct rim, small soft yellow signal. 'Night Angel' X 'Frosted Intrigue'. Introduced by Mt. Pleasant Iris Gardens 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.

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.