The American Iris Society Announces the 2022 Payne Medal Winner

'FLAMINGO WALTZ'

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.

'Flamingo Waltz'
Photo by Chad Harris

'Flamingo Waltz' (Chad Harris, R. 2013) Seedling 00JF1. JI (6 F.), 36 (91 cm), Early bloom. Style arms light pink (RHS 75D), crest darker pink (75B); Falls pink, signal soft lemon-yellow (7B) turning to green in throat. 'Saigyozakura' X 'Hime Kagami'. Introduced by Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm in 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 Payne Medal Winners

'COLUMBIA DEEP WATER' and 'DALLE WHITEWATER'

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 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.

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

'COLUMBIA DEEP WATER' (Chad Harris)

'Columbia Deep Water' (Chad Harris, R. 2012) Seedling 02JC1. JI (6 F.), 48 (122 cm). Late bloom. Style arms multiple pale blue-violet (RHS 91B), flared upright crests of dark blue-violet (90A); Falls iridescent red-violet with deep blue-violet (88A) undertones, faint neon powder blue-violet (93B) rays radiating from signal to within 1/2" of fall edge; signal bright yellow (5A). 'Night Angel' X 'Frosted Intrigue'. Mt. Pleasant 2013.

'DALLE WHITEWATER' (Chad Harris)

'Dalle Whitewater' (Chad Harris, R. 2010) Seedling 02JC3. JI (6 F.), 48" (122 cm), Late bloom. falls heavily sanded pale blue-violet (RHS 92B), pale ray pattern of pastel blue-violet (92D) extending into faint 1/2" light purple (90C) band, signals off-yellow, slight green cast (3A); style arms multiple upright white, edge and crest medium blue-violet (92A); rolling ruffles. 'Night Angel' X 'Frosted Intrigue'. Salmon Creek 2011.

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 Payne Medal

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Payne Medals 2019

'Cascade Rain'

'Indigo Angel'

The 2019 Payne Medal is a tie:

'Cascade Rain'--image by Chad Harris

'Cascade Rain' (Chad Harris, R. 2007) Sdlg. 02JH1. JI (3 F.), 40" (102 cm), Midseason late bloom. Standards white sharply edged purple (RHS 86A), lightly stippled same; style arms white edged light blue-violet (93D), large upright crest washed same blue-violet; Falls white ground heavily stippled blue violet (89B), blue violet wash covering ¾ of petal intensifying to sharp ¼? blue violet edge, yellow green (2A) signal. 'Hekiun' X 'Peacock Strut'. Aitken, Mt. Pleasant 2008. Award of Merit 2015

'Indigo Angel'--image by Ensata Gardens

'Indigo Angel' (Bob Bauer and John Coble, R. 2011) Sdlg. J02H-1. JI (6 F.), 36 (91 cm), Midseason bloom. Style arms dark purple, slight light rim on crests, upright form; Falls white ground sanded with blue-violet halo and veins, veins turning red-violet at ends fading into red-violet edges, white wire rim. 'Night Angel X 'Sapphire Crown'. Ensata 2011. Honorable Mention 2014, Award of Merit 2017

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