Morgan-Wood Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Morgan-Wood Medal 2018

'Miss Apple'

This medal is restricted to Siberian 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.

'Miss Apple'--image by Brock Heilman

Miss Apple' (Marty Schafer & Jan Sacks, 2009). Standards medium red blended with yellow; style arms medium red, some violet; falls deep, rich red blended with yellow, signal showy warm yellow (RHS 13B/C), dark widely spaced veins; slight sweet fragrance. 'Hot Sketch' sibling. Joe Pye Weed 2009. Honorable Mention 2012. Award of Merit 2014.

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 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.

Mary Swords DeBallion Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal 2018

'Deja Voodoo'

This medal is restricted to Louisiana (LA) irises. It is named in honor of Mary Swords DeBaillon (1888-1940). When Mary DeBaillon realized how varied Louisiana irises were and what lovely garden plants they were, she amassed the largest collection of Louisiana irises in the world. She was tireless in promoting these irises as good garden plants and in encouraging any who would listen to grow them. She gained considerable fame as a naturalist and native plant collector.

'Deja Voodoo'--image by Patrick O'Connor

'Deja Voodoo' (Patrick O'Connor, R. 2011) Seedling 08-11. LA, 32 (81 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards, falls and style arms deep purple; bright yellow arrowhead signal; lightly ruffled. 'German Coast' X 'Henry Rowlan'.

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 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.

Mitchell Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Sydney B. Mitchell Medal 2018

‘PACIFIC TAPESTRY’

'Pacific Tapestry'--image by Terry Aitken

'Pacific Tapestry' (J. Terry Aitken, R. 2010). Standards purple veined darker; style arms purple; falls yellow underlay, network of brown veins interspersed with brown speckling that radiates to rim; velvety. 'Bar Code' X unknown. Salmon Creek 2010. Award of Merit 2015.

This medal is restricted to Pacific Coast Native (PCN) irises. It is named in honor of Sydney B. Mitchell (1878-1951). Prof. Sydney Mitchell was an educator. He became Acting Librarian at the University of California during WW I, and later founded and became first director of the Graduate School of Librarianship at that university. He was also one of the organizers of the American Iris Society. Tom Craig wrote this of him: "Sydney looked upon plant breeding as a long term international effort in which individuals from all over the world should co-operate and add generation after generation to a real human achievement. He made me feel a real part of this and more particularly a part of a special work started by William Mohr and carried on by himself. Sydney generously gave flowers and plants of seedling for further encouragement with this work."

Mitchell was also interested in the native irises of the West Coast, and promoted them at every opportunity. He took great pride in the plantings of PCNs in his own garden. He had a large collection of various forms of I. innominata and I. douglasiana.

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 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.

Randolph-Perry Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Randolph-Perry Medal 2018

‘Take-No-Sato’

 'Take-No-Sato'--image by Brock Heilman

'Take-No-Sato' (Hiroshi Shimizu by Carol Warner, R. 2008) SPEC-X (Pseudata); 45" (114 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards white brushed and veined red violet, white rim, small; style arms and Falls white veined red violet; signal deep yellow surrounded by deep red-violet eyelash markings. Translation: "Village of Bamboo". Honorable Mention 2013. Award of Merit 2015.

This medal is restricted to interspecies irises (SPEC-X). It is named in honor of Dr. L. F. Randolph (1894-1980) and Amos Perry (1871-1953).

Dr. L. F. Randolph, or "Fitz" as he was affectionately called by his many friends and associates, Dr. Randolph was chairman of the AIS Scientific Committee from 1945 to 1956. The work he and his students Jyotirmay Mitra and Katherine Heinig did on iris chromosomes produced many published monographs and provide the basis of our scientific understanding of the genus. He conducted a number of extensive iris species collection expeditions and brought back new species and many new forms of other iris species, especially of I pumila.

Amos Perry was born into a family of English nurserymen. Perry was one of the first hybridizers to use the tetraploid irises 'Amas,' I trojana, I. mesopotamica and I cypriana. He introduced scores of new bearded cultivars, but he was more interested in Siberian irises and iris species. He probably created more new hybrid interspecies irises than any other iris breeder. His new hybrid irises often had names that indicated their species parentage, such as 'Chrysogana' (I. chrysographes x I. bulleyana); 'Tebract' (I tenax x I. bracteata); 'Longsib' (I. longipetala x I. siberica); and 'Chrysowigi' (I. chrysographes x I hartwegi.

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 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.