The American Iris Society Announces the 2021 Morgan-Wood Medal Winners

'CAPE COD BOYS' and 'NEPTUNE'S GOLD'

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.

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

'CAPE COD BOYS' (Marty Schafer/Jan Sacks)

'Cape Cod Boys' (Marty Schafer and Jan Sacks, 2009) SIB. Seedling No. S00-67-6, height 27", Midseason bloom and rebloom. Standards blue violet (RHS 94D) ground, dappled, washed and veined darker (84B); style arms light blue-violet (92D); Falls dappled blue-violet (97B), darker dappling and veining and wide band of dark blue-violet (94A) dappling, pale blue-violet edge, signal gold to yellow to pale yellow lightly veined blue violet; slight sweet fragrance. Sibling to 'Waterfall Waltz' X S95-30-1 (sibling to 'Turn A Phrase' x 'In Full Sail'). Joe Pye Weed 2009.

NEPTUNE'S GOLD (Robert Hollingworth)

'Neptune's Gold' (Robert Hollingworth, R. 2013) Seedling 05R6A5. SIB (tet.), 33 (84 cm), Early to midseason bloom. Standards mid-light blue; style arms broad, light blue; Falls mid-dark blue, slightly greyed by yellow underlay, lighter blue rim, distinct round gold signal with blue veins, round, flaring. 'Blueberry Fair' X 02B1A9: (McEwen T687/76(8) x 97A2B22(T): ('Veins of Gold' pod parent x 92E5A4, see 'Doreen Cambray' pod parent)). Ensata 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 in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. 

The American Iris Society Announces the 2021 DeBaillon Medal Winners

'WHEN PIGS FLY' and 'ROOSTER'

The DeBaillon Medal is restricted to Louisiana (LA) irises. It is named in honor of Mary Swords DeBaillon (1888-1940). Mary DeBaillon realized how varied Louisiana irises were and what lovely garden plants they were. Mary DeBaillon 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.

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

'WHEN PIGS FLY' (Patrick O'Connor)

'When Pigs Fly' (Patrick O'Connor, R. 2012) Seedling 10-34. LA, 30-32 (7701 cm), Midseason late bloom. Standards pale amber on opening fading to pearl-white; style arms cream-white; falls same as standards, deep yellow dagger signal outlined in bright violet radiating out about half the length and width of falls. 'Percolator' X 'Bellocq'. Zydeco 2013.

ROOSTER (Ron Betzer)

'Rooster' (Ron Betzer, R. 2013) Seedling 05-49-4. LA, 29 (74 cm), Early to midseason bloom. Standards light yellow, slight claret streak through middle, lightly feathered edges; style arms claret, some yellow on edges; Falls yellow, rusty-red veining and sometimes a rusty-red wash, claret rim and serrated edge, yellow blotch overlaid light green steeple signal. 'Shining Times' X 'Our Dorothy'. Iris City 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 in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2021 Mitchell Medal Winners

'LINE DRAWING' and 'CORRALITOS CREEK'

The Mitchel 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. 

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

‘Line Drawing’

'Line Drawing' (Joseph Ghio, R. 2009). Seedling #IP-159S2. CA, 14" (36 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards white ground lined dark blue; style arms deep blue; falls white ground, dark blue lines overall, intense blue stitched edge, green-gold dotted signal. 'Like Clockwork' X seedling #FP-265U, 'Foggy Days' sibling. Bay View 2009.

 

‘Corralitos Creek’

'Corralitos Creek' (Joseph Ghio, R. 2013) Seedling #MP-163A4. CA, 14" (36 cm). Late midseason bloom. Standards white, slight blue at distal edge; style arms dark blue; falls white, blue line radiates from signal to deep blue edge, deep blue halo signal. Seedling #KP-155L: ('Da Vinci Code' x seedling #IP-156S3: ('Foggy Days' x seedling #GP-404K3: ('Bar Code' x seedling #EP-153C2: ('Ocean Blue' x 'Star of Evening')))) X seedling #KP-154, 'Costanoa' sibling. Bay View 2013.

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.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2021 Randolph-Perry Medal Winners

 'RYUGAN' and YARAI'

The Randolph Perry 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 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).

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

RYUGAN (Hiroshi Shimizu by Carol Warner)

'Ryugan' (Hiroshi Shimizu by Carol Warner, R. 2008) SPEC-X (Pseudata); 33" (84 cm), Very early. Standards light lemon yellow; style arms lemon yellow, ruffled tips brushed light wine-purple; falls light lemon yellow lightly sanded wine purple, signal deep yellow, speckled and sanded deep wine surrounded by deep wine eyelash pattern. 'Gubijin' X mixed JI pollen. Draycott 2008.

YARAI (Hiroshi Shimizu by Carol Warner)

'Yarai' (Hiroshi Shimizu by Carol Warner, 2011) SPEC-X (Pseudata); 27", Very early bloom. Falls light yellow background lightly veined and speckled wine red, presenting an orange appearance; standards more heavily wine red; prominent deep yellow signal. 'Gubijin' X unknown (mixed JI pollen). Draycott 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.