IRISES: The Bulletin of the AIS - Fall 2025 Edition

 By Andi Rivarola

A warm welcome to those who are seeing IRISES, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society for the first time. If you are a member of The American Iris Society I hope you enjoy this new issue.

The Fall 2025 issue of the AIS Bulletin is available online now, accessible via the Emembers section of the AIS website. The print copy is being mailed via the U.S. Post Office. 

On the cover, 'Royston Rubies' (Adam Cordes 2017, TB).

Note: to access this area of the website, you must have a current AIS Emembership. (AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership.) Please see the Electronic Membership Information are of the AIS website for more details.

Enjoy the latest edition of the AIS Bulletin.

On pages 2 and 3, you will find a display of award winning irises called AIS 2025 Award Winners Gallery.

The Table of Contents on pages 4 and 5 proposes a fantastic view of images and text to stir your imagination into what is possible. Enjoy it!

On pages 10 and 11, you can read all about the newest Dykes Medal Winner, Adam Cordes and the iris that made the winning possible, the title of this section is About 'Royston Rubies': A Phone Interview with Adam Cordes.

All you wanted to know about the Knowlton Medal is available on pages 12 - 15, with beautiful images and a comprehensive article on The Knowlton Medal.

The complete listing of the AIS 2025 Awards is included in pages 16 through 22.

Beyond Monoculture: The Siberian/Species Iris and AIS Region 21 Convention on pages 24 - 28 will give you a fascinating account of the event with gorgeous images of irises and people in the gardens.

Have you ever seen edible art? Now thanks to the article, Edible Art that Features Irises, you certainly will, on page 29. Enjoy.

There's so much more on this issue. Don't miss it!

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Support the work of The American Iris Society by becoming a member:

Not a member of the American Iris Society? Please see our website for information about becoming one: http://irises.org/
Happy Gardening!

• The Annual Print Membership receives the printed version of Irises, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society, published four times annually.

• Annual E-membership participants can view the online version of Irises, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society. Also, has access to the online iris checklist.

• The Annual Full Membership receives both benefits described above.

• Participate in AIS’s Webinar Series featuring AIS experts from around the U.S.

• Get connected with AIS members via our Facebook Group Iris Lovers, and other social media channels.

• Get to know about lesser known irises, such as species, spuria, Japanese, Louisiana, Siberian and other beardless irises.

• Support AIS's Mission of education, conservation, research, preserving historical archives, and outreach projects.

• Did you know that The American Iris Society is the registration authority for all rhizomatous irises worldwide?  

• The Iris Encyclopedia is available 24-7, 365 days a year, and filled with a wealth of iris knowledge. Stop by for a visit!

The American Iris Society Announces the 2025 Sass Medal Winner

 'FRIED GREEN TOMATOES '

The Sass Medal is restricted to intermediate bearded (IB) irises. It is named in honor of Hans Sass (1868-1949) and Jacob Sass (1872-1945). They bred irises, peonies, daylilies, lilacs, gladiolus, lilies and other garden plants. When they became charter members of the AIS, they had been breeding irises
for more than a decade. Their irises were famous for being strong growers because they used 'Amas' and I. trojana as tetraploid stud irises instead of the tender I. mesopotamica and I. cypriana.

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

Intermediate Bearded Iris 'Fried Green Tomatoes'

photo by Hugh Stout

'Fried Green Tomatoes' (Hugh Stout, R. 2019). Seedling SN11E. IB, 25" (64 cm), Early midseason bloom. Standards lemon chiffon, cream at base; style arms cream; falls citron yellow, lighter toward edge, darker olive green veining around beards, light cream edge; beards light lavender, hairs tipped saffron gold; ruffled; slight musky fragrance. Seedling DX25C: ('Zing Me' x 'Killarney Green') X unknown. Introduced by Stout Gardens in 2019.

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 2025 Knowlton Medal Winner

  'FROSTY SPIRIT'

The Knowlton Medal is restricted to border bearded (BB) irises. It is named in honor of Harold W. Knowlton (1888-1968) of Auburndale, Massachusetts, a tireless promoter of the border bearded class of irises. Bennett Jones wrote in The World of Irises: "Harold Knowlton was among the first to make deliberate selections of smaller plants. Two of his 1950 introductions, ‘Pearl Cup’ ... and ‘Cricket’... display the desirable features we still seek in modern border irises." Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Border bearded iris 'Frosty Spirit'
photo by Rick Tasco

'Frosty Spirit' - (Richard Tasco, R. 2017) Seedling 11-BB-01-23. BB, 27" (69 cm), Early midseason bloom. standards very pale light blue, centers lighter, few thin green veins at midrib; style arms very pale light blue; Falls same, lighter centers; beards golden orange 1st half then wisteria blue (RHS 92A); blue slightly darker in cooler weather; moderately ruffled; slight sweet fragrance. Seedling 07-SDB-79-17-HR: (seedling 05-SDB-31-13: (Carmel Celeste x seedling 02-SDB-01-02: (Love Unlimited x 'Yearling')) x seedling 5-SDB-03-18-HR: ('Punk' x seedling 03-SDB-04-02-HR: ('Mesmerizer' x Hager pumila seedling 4471TyY : ('Ceremony' x Hager pumila seedling 2847WFlrPr: (seedling BU68 x 'Atomic Blue'))))) X 'Glacier Point'. Superstition 2017

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 2025 Wister Medal Winners

 'DARK UNIVERSE' - 'MARRY THE NIGHT' -

'GHIRARDELLI SQUARE'

The Wister Medal is restricted to tall bearded (TB) irises. It is named in honor of John C. Wister (1887-1982). Three medals are awarded each year. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

John C. Wister led the organizing meeting that created the American Iris Society and became its first president, a position he held for 14. He guided the Society through its formative years. He was widely recognized as a man of rare management skills, leadership ability, and the highest ethical standards. R. S. Sturtevant wrote of him: "Probably few current members realize that the AIS started through the efforts and initiative of one man, John C. Wister...."

Tall bearded iris 'DARK UNIVERSE'

Photo by Christine Cosi

'Dark Universe' (Keith Keppel, R. 2018). Seedling 05-69C. TB, 35" (89 cm). Early bloom. Standards concord (M&P 45-K-12), very faint paler venation toward edge, ¹⁄₁₆˝ blue-white edge; style arms blue-white to wisteria violet (41-E-8); falls velvety concord, minute blue white edge, white area beside beard, fine speckled transitional area, haft with faint yellow edge deep in throat; beard hairs based white, chrome yellow (9-L-7) tips in throat, tips lemon-yellow (9-L-2) at end; luminata. Seedling 00-56D: (seedling 97-86B: ('Fancy Dress' x 'New Leaf') x 'Moonlit Water') X seedling 02-106A, 'Belle Fille' pollen parent. Introduced by Keith Keppel Iris in 2019.

Tall bearded iris 'MARRY THE NIGHT'

photo by Jeanette Graham

'Marry The Night' (Thomas Johnson, R. 2017). Seedling# TF77D. TB, 32" (81 cm). Early bloom. Standards near solid very dark purple; style arms dark purple; falls pristine white, precise dark purple band; beards orange, purple at the very end; sweet fragrance. 'Locomotion' sibling. Introduced by Mid-America Gardens in 2017. 

Tall bearded iris 'GHIRARDELLI SQUARE'
photo by Jeanette Graham

'Ghirardelli Square' (Keith Keppel, R. 2015). Seedling# 09-88B. TB, 38" (97 cm). Early midseason bloom. Standards blended brazil brown (M&P 8-L-8) and horsechestnut (8-J-5); style arms brazil brown to raw umber (7-L-12), wax yellow (11-L-4) on arms; falls white (9-AB-1), ³⁄₈˝ purple-chocolate (darker than 56-L-8) solid plicata edge, some speckling extending inward, short dark veins beside beard; beards mustard-tan, hairs based lavender. Seedling# 02-92A: ('Inside Trac' x 'Spice Lord') X 'Reckless Abandon'. Introduced by Keith Keppel Iris in 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.