Whoa...Back Up...Where Did Median Iris Come From?

After I posted my last blog about Median Iris titled "Medians-Who Hybridized The Little Beauties" I received a comment from a wonderful irisarian that reminded me I did not start at the beginning of the life of Medians. I fully intended to introduce everyone to the Median hybridizers who were honored with the Bennet C. Jones Award for Median Hybridzing Excellence, beginning with the first recipient and namesake of the award. But first I am going to backtrack and start with the pioneering hybridizers of the Median Iris. Then, I will introduce the award for the best intermediate iris and the men it is named for. Finally, I will show you photos of some of the award winners.

Much of the earliest hybridizing work was done by Foster and Dykes (UK) in the latter part of the 19th century, with crosses being made between tall and dwarf species. In 1898, William John Caparne from Guernsey, off the coast of Normandy, started selling what he called a "New Race of Irises (Intermediates)". Due to his good natured sharing, other nurserymen both in America and the UK further developed his introductions as their own. Caparne’s achievements were eclipsed to the point where even his original creation of the Intermediate hybrids became obscured. Caparne continued to develop his 'Intermediate' irises well into the mid 1930s. Then in the U.S. the Sass brothers, Grace Sturtevan, and others produced intermediates, and the Sass brothers crossed I. pumila with tetraploid tall bearded irises. With continued work came what we now call standard dwarf bearded irises that were fertile. Thus the early development of Median Iris was well on its way.

Jacob Sass

Hans (1868-1949) and Jacob (1872-1945) Sass were born in Alt Duvenstedt, Germany and immigrated to the United States with their parents in 1884. They settled on a farm in Nebraska, and were interested in breeding garden flowers at an early age. They bred irises, peonies, daylilies, lilacs, gladiolus, lilies and other garden plants. When they became charter members of The American Iris Society, they had bred irises for more than a decade. The two brothers were very close and shared ideas on hybridizing as well as seedling pollen. Their irises won many awards and are to be found throughout the pedigrees of nearly all the modern tall bearded irises in our gardens. But their early fame as hybridizers came for their work producing intermediate bearded irises. They were among the first to cross iris pumila with tall bearded iris, producing the true intermediates.  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. Hans was the first to introduce a reblooming intermediate iris 'Autumn Queen', in 1926.

Hans P Sass 1950

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). Below are several photos of Sass Medal winners, the year they won the award, their hybridizer and hometown.

1962 'Blue Asterisk' Wilma Greenlee Chrisman IL

1995 'Blue Eyed Blond' Allan Ensminger Lincoln NE

1965 'Cutie' Schreiner Salem OR

2004 'Gnu Rayz' Brad Kasperek Elwood UT

1997 'Hot Spice' Terry Aitken Vancouver WA

1970 'Drummer Boy' Schreiner Salem OR

2010 'Ruby Slippers' Keith Keppel Salem OR

1982 'Pink Kitten' Vernon Wood Pinole CA

2006 'Midsummer Night’s Dream' Lowell Baumunk Littleton CO

1961 Award 1968 Medal 'Moonchild' Tom Craig Escondido CA

1988 'Oklahoma Bandit' Hooker Nichols Dallas TX

2005 'Starwoman' Marky Smith Yakima WA (Won the Dykes in 2008)

1996 'Lemon Pop' Larry Lauer Wilton CA

My Earliest Bloomers

Spring came early to Southern California this year, as it has in many places in the country. Although it may seem hard to believe, these photos of the tall bearded reblooming iris 'Recurring Dream' (Hager, 1992) were taken on March 13.

The next iris to join the party was 'Lady Friend.' It was moved to this spot last year because I expected it to bloom next to the red Japanese Blood Grass and the pinkish-red gazanias nearby. They may catch up to her, but they had better hurry.  

I did not expect 'Recurring Dream' to bloom at the same time as 'Lady Friend,' and I have not adjusted to this color combination. Perhaps it will grow on me.

This is another unexpected bloom.  A neighbor grows 'Superstition,' an almost-black iris, and I thought it would look fabulous next to my new pale yellow Austin rose 'Symphony' with almost-black violas.  I went over after it was done blooming and dug up a few rhizomes- of the wrong iris.  A nice, tall NOID (no identification) now blooms in 'Superstition's' spot.

Here is a photograph of all three of my earliest bloomers.  I eliminated all purple from my garden two years ago.  Purple is invasive.

Early blooming iris varieties are a wonderful sight in the garden.  Iris foliage in the early spring is a beautiful sight on its own, and stands up well to other non-blooming perennials as a statement in the garden.

I had no idea what to put around this pond, and it sat there looking sad and barren until I hit upon the brilliant idea of putting in plants with my favorite spiky foliage.  Louisiana iris 'Spanish Ballet' (a gift from my friend Judith Gasser) is in the foreground and a historic iris that has been on the property since, oh, maybe the 1940s, is planted in the clump at center.  I'll be sure to post photos when they bloom, but they are there for the foliage.

From the other direction:

And from the other side of the pond.

Spuria irises purchased at the San Fernando Valley Iris Society plant sale wait for me to finish the masonry on a new iris bed in front of the plunge pool.  I planted them in coffee cans with the bottoms removed.  The plastic lids underneath have holes poked into them for drainage.  When I remove the plastic, the irises will slide right out without too much trauma (she says with great confidence and no experience).



Other irises are ready to bloom within a week or two.  Hager's 1992  'Total Recall,' Keppel's 2002 'Telepathy,'  Holk's 1995  'Rose Teall,'  Gibson's 1994 'Frequent Flyer,' Gaulter's 1976 'Persian Berry,' Burseen's 1992 'Fashion Passion,' and Begley's 1988 'Tennison Ridge' are all getting ready to roll.  'Northwest Progress' (Schreiner, 1997) is a good sport; it will be blooming at the same time as the ajuga I put in to match its colors.

In other parts of the country, standard dwarf bearded irises and species irises are the first to bloom.   Which are the first in your part of  the world?  Do you grow any early bloomers in your garden? 

Rebloom - Winter in Zone 6

In an ideal situation, rebloomers are grown separate from the spring-only blooming irises.  The two types of irises have different requirements.  About six weeks following spring bloom, the non-rebloomers go dormant for the summer.  In drought conditions they will even lose their fans until the cooling days of fall.  Forcing once-blooming irises to continue growing can, and will, lead many to soft rot in the hot days of summer.   

The care of rebloomers needs to be considered when deciding how many you need to grow.  Rebloomers require faster increase, and more strength to supply the double bloom season.  This often creates a faster increase of clump size.  Existing advice is to grow two clumps of each iris, digging them on alternate years, so that you always have one mature clump.  In tighter circumstances, you could plant just one clump and dig alternate sides each year. 

Irises need a minimum of approximately 6 hours of sunshine per day. Although winters can get below zero in my zone 6 garden, summers can be brutal.  Any blooms in the summer or early fall will be greatly enhanced if some shade is provided.  When you don’t have space available on the east side of a building, planting tall flowers down one side of the bed can provide shade.  Get creative!  If this isn’t possible, know that non-shaded temperatures above 90-degrees tend to reduce any open blooms to the consistency of wet tissue; later blooms will be fine. 

Spring blooming irises go dormant about six weeks after bloom season -- this is normal. If rebloomers go dormant they do not produce rebloom, so it is necessary to continue growth.  Fertilize after the spring bloom season has ended.  Water approximately every ten days.  Supplement when Mother Nature is not on the job, but never water when the temperature reaches 90 degrees and above.  It’s best to water early in the morning.  Wet foliage may cause rot, so soaker hoses are a good option. 

Once you determine the size and location of your new planting, it’s time to choose the reblooming irises. If you choose zone 8 or 9 rebloomers for a zone 5 or 6 garden you are sure to suffer disappointment!  This is why iris research becomes very important. 

If you want the opportunity of summer and early fall rebloom your best bet is to go with irises that have been reported to bloom in the summer and fall in your area.  Some of the irises that have summer bloomed in my garden are 'Over and Over,' 'Immortality,' ‘Just Call Me,’ ‘Over and Over’ and ‘Echo Location.’  

'Over & Over' (Innerst 2001)  

'Immortality' (Zurbrigg 1982)

'Just Call Me' (Wilkerson 2008)  

'Echo Location' (Wilkerson 2007)  

If your goal is a fall season bloom then you might want to buy some of the fall cycle bloomers.  This list includes ‘Star Gate,’ ‘Earl of Essex,’  ‘Halloween Treasure’ and ‘Harvest of Memories.’

'Star Gate' (Wilkerson 2005)

'Earl of Essex'  (Zurbrigg 1980)

'Halloween Treasure' (Wilkerson 2008)

'Harvest of Memories' (Zurbrigg 1985)

In the spring you can visit gardens in your region.  Many clubs maintain a display garden.  This is a mission, so carry a notebook.  All rebloomers do not bloom in all gardens.  Even those that are reported to rebloom in your area may not be happy in your garden.  It’s advisable to quiz established iris growers in your general area to determine the irises most likely to rebloom in your area. 

You can conduct research on the Internet.  Many of the online gardens have information about rebloomers.  Remember to pay attention to the zones they are reporting.  The Reblooming Iris Society has a website.  A membership in the RIS includes two issues of ‘The Recorder’ each year, which contain rebloom reports from most regions.  Reports of rebloom are compiled in a cumulative checklist, available though the RIS website.  You can find many discussions on rebloom in the archives of both iris-talk and iris-photos.  Many things iris can be located at the website of The American Iris Society.  

What is Rebloom?

Iris shows have been among my favorite events for well over two decades. I’m the gabby type and love to talk to new people at the shows. Sharing is what it’s all about and I really like to infect others with the iris virus. When they hear I breed rebloomers, their first question is “What is that?” Then, they often say, “I’ve never heard of them!”

According to the American Iris Society Judge’s Handbook, “A reblooming iris (usually marked RE) is one that blooms in the spring and again in the same growing season.” They can appear in all iris classes. My twenty six years of work as a hybridizer has been focused on rebloom in the tall bearded class for zone 6. I reserve the right to chase distractions!

Rebloom is categorized according to the arrival of that additional bloom season. Currently, there are at least four different rebloom classes based on their rebloom behavior. This is important since all types will not rebloom in some climates.

Repeat bloomers usually put up additional stalks about six weeks after the spring season. My ‘Summer Radiance’ creates a lot of interest when it blooms in July. The bright shiny yellow blooms can be seen for a great distance.

Summer Radiance (Wilkerson 1996) 

Cycle rebloomers have a distinct second season of bloom in the fall. It usually follows a fall rain and cooler temperatures. In my zone 6, southern Kentucky, most cycle rebloomers open around October 1. A good example would be my own ‘Radiant Bliss.’ Louisville is more than a hundred miles north of my garden and they get fall rebloom earlier due to their earlier fall weather.

Radiant Bliss (Wilkerson 2005)

Sporadic rebloomers produce unpredictable bloom stalks at varying times. These are the ones I call warm climate rebloomers. They do well in the southern tier of states, the west coast, and Australia. They rarely show reblooming tendencies in colder climates. When they bloom off season here, I’m like a kid in a candy store! Just as thrilling are the reports of rebloom on some of my non-reblooming children once they move to California. Both ‘Gilded Cream’ (Wilkerson 1995) and ‘Color Me Mysterious’ (Wilkerson 2011) are from rebloom breeding and have rebloomed in California.

Gilded Cream (Wilkerson 1995)

Color Me Mysterious (Wilkerson 2011)

Endowed with stronger rebloom genes, multiple blooming irises have the genetic ability to bloom any time from spring through the first hard freeze. They were called ever blooming in the past, but this was misleading, as people expected them to bloom constantly from spring thru fall. Another term you may hear is whenever bloomers. They have this ability, but most will not automatically bloom this second time.

I’ve posted a couple of photos of multiple (summer) irises growing and blooming with dahlias as proof they do bloom here in July and August, although it’s not a guarantee. ‘Immortality’ (Zurbrigg 1982) is with the red dahlias and ‘Returning Chameleon’ (Wilkerson 1995) with pastel dahlias. ‘Immortality’ is the pollen parent of ‘Returning Chameleon.’

Immortality (Zurbrigg 1982)

Returning Chameleon (Wilkerson 1995) 

With all rebloomers, much is determined by cultural practices and climate. In my zone 6 garden, it’s important to fertilize after the spring bloom and also to keep the plants well watered. If they do not receive approximately one inch of water every ten days or so they will go dormant and this will stop the rebloom. I recommend soaker hoses so the foliage doesn’t get wet in the hot summers.

The spring only bloomers need to go dormant for the summer and may (often) rot under the very conditions that rebloomers require. Again, water and extra fertilizer create extended summer growth which can and does create rot in many spring only blooming irises. If you grow several rebloomers, it would be best to grow your rebloomers separate from the spring only irises.

On a personal level, I consider rebloomers to be garden irises. I make a conscious effort to promote good branching in my seedlings, just in case they make it to an AIS sanctioned show either spring or fall. It’s rare that rebloomers are seen at the National Convention Gardens, or in spring shows. “Why is this?” you ask. Timing! Most rebloomers have an early spring season and have finished blooming by the time the shows and the tours take place. In the off season, they are the stars of the garden.

For the record, I don’t go crazy over terminology. I will report rebloom in this way, “It’s blooming now, or it bloomed at this time.” There are no guarantees with rebloomers. Mine is a difficult climate. I get excited over maiden (first) bloom in an off season, even though I know it may never rebloom again. I’m depressed at the end of spring bloom season and I dislike the first freeze each fall. I’m such an iris addict that I welcome, encourage, and enjoy an iris blooming at any time. Sometimes I think the breeding program is just a way to stay involved in irises year round!

How did I get involved in reblooming irises? In 1982, the Henry Field’s catalog listed “fall irises!” This was my introduction to reblooming irises. Thus, my obsession began. If you love irises, why not grow the type that blooms a second and sometimes a third time per year? If I had my way, everyone would grow and breed rebloomers. Don’t you agree?

There are Internet sites, including the American Iris Society, where you can increases your knowledge of irises in general. Many things, including the iris encyclopedia and commercial links, are available through the AIS site.  There is a Reblooming Iris Society devoted to rebloomers specifically. There are archives in place for both iris talk and iris photos, online email lists about irises.  These archives contain a really good supply of iris information with a search engine. Good reading for the winter season.  

Bloomin' Fools

'Kiss of Kisses' Reblooming Iris (Hybridized by Kerr, 1997)

Visitors to my garden are surprised by the irises. The comment I hear most often is "I thought they only came in purple!" followed closely by "they're not supposed to be blooming NOW, are they?"

'Beverly Sills,' an occasional rebloomer, (Hager, 1978) with 'Frequent Flyer' Reblooming Iris (Gibson, 1994) in July

In my Southern California garden, tall bearded irises bloom from March until January, thanks to reblooming varieties. Those of us who live in Mediterranean climates with very late or insignificant frosts can take advantage of the rebloomers to have irises as the main focus of our gardens, since they bloom practically year-round.

'Grand Circle' Reblooming Iris (Sutton, 2003)

Reblooming irises are not all created equal. Hybridizers strive to expand the color range and to create more beautiful forms of reblooming irises, but it is a tricky business. Some irises rebloom with great vigor and an abundance of blooms, others are quite stingy and may send up a single flower stalk out of dozens of fans every few years. Some bloom twice on the same plant, and some reproduce so fast that they send out new plants that bloom in the same season. Some have been known to bloom themselves right out of existence!


My best performer is, by far, 'Total Recall'. This iris begins blooming at the end of March and blooms right through to July, when it usually takes a little rest for about six to eight weeks, then it starts up again in September and blooms until frost in January. This year we have had an unseasonably cool summer, so it has not taken a break, and is in bloom right now.

'Total Recall' Reblooming Iris (Hager, 1992)



The Reblooming Iris Society, a section of the American Iris Society, has a web page that lists reblooming varieties of irises and the USDA zones in which they have been reported to rebloom. If you would like to introduce rebloomers into your garden, this is the place to start. You may also enjoy the Reblooming Iris Society Facebook Page, where lovers of these plants post information on what is reblooming where, and for how long.

'Frequent Flyer' and 'Lady Friend' occasional rebloomer (Ghio, 1980)

I am a newbie to the world of irises, and my experiences are limited to Southern California and to tall bearded irises. Do irises rebloom where you live? What kinds of irises do well there, and which are your favorites? My favorite is usually my newest. 'Rose Teall' (Holk 1995) opened yesterday for the first time, so it's my favorite today.



Many iris nurseries specialize in reblooming irises, so check the AIS website or do a Google search for commercial growers in your area.

"Are they supposed to be blooming NOW?" Yes! Plant reblooming irises suited to your area and enjoy the beauty and grace of irises, in every color of the rainbow, for weeks on end.