Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative is Gearing Up for This Year's Projects

by Gary Salathe

The Louisiana iris Conservation Initiative (LICI), of which I am a member of the board of directors and a volunteer, managed to get 6,000 wild Iris giganticaerulea (a species of Louisiana iris) planted in refuges and nature preserves last year.  The hard work paid off, as shown in my last World of Irises Blog posting.  We're targeting getting at least 6,000 irises "rescued" and planted again for 2022.

The first step in accomplishing this goal is to locate irises that are threatened with destruction and dig them up.  That process has already begun with our completing three "rescues" so far this year that has brought in about 4,000 I. giganticaerulea irises to our iris holding area.

LICI volunteers are shown setting up the LICI iris 

holding area in July 2020. 

  

Since we are typically doing iris rescue events during the summer, while the irises are either about to go into or in their dormancy, we plant the irises into waterproof containers at our iris holding area to allow them to strengthen up by growing out new roots and leaves.  The irises are usually ready for planting into our iris restoration projects by late September.  The goal is to have all containers empty with the irises planted by January 2023.

Some of the irises from early spring are almost ready to move out to 

our projects, as shown in this photo taken on August 5th.

 

From summer 2020 until January of this year we have had to rely on local volunteers for our iris rescues and planting projects.  In Pre-COVID 19 days there was a flow of out-of-state college students coming in to help, often hosted by local not-for-profit organizations and motivated by various incentives, including earning public service hour credits.  During the last two years, it has required many more volunteer events of 6 to 8 people to accomplish what 15 to 20 college students could achieve in just one outing.

 

A 2021 iris rescue using local volunteers.

 

We are now back to pre-pandemic times, mainly using out-of-state university students as our volunteers. LICI helps local sponsor organizations by supplying them with work the volunteers can do for at least one day while they are in town. The college-age volunteers do the heavy work at our events. Our local volunteers either get down and dirty and work alongside these students if they are physically able or help in other ways to organize and support the events. Local LICI volunteers take charge of certain aspects of a project site over the long term. Others keep us in contact with various landowners, local governments, and other non-profits.  Some assist with social media and public relations.

 

 A 2022 iris rescue using out-of-state college student volunteers 

from Iowa State University.

 

The same Iowa State University volunteers at the LICI iris holding area 

 planting the irises they rescued the day before.

 

Our friends from the local non-profit Common Ground Relief were hosting the Iowa State University volunteers for a week of service activities in Southeast Louisiana doing marsh restoration projects.  

In June volunteers from the Students Shoulder to Shoulder organization worked with us to complete our second and third iris rescue of the season.  The volunteers were high school students from around the country.  They were in south Louisiana for a week of volunteering in coastal restoration projects through events held by their local host Common Ground Relief.

 Both of the June 2022 iris rescue events were held while the area was 

experiencing a heat wave with temperatures in the mid-90's.

 

 Josh Benitez (left), co-director of Common Ground Relief, is seen 

digging irises with two volunteers from the Students Shoulder to Shoulder 

organization during one of the June iris rescue events.

Because of the very wet weather our area has been experiencing, we likely will not be able to get out to do any more iris rescues until the middle of September.  One more event should get all of the containers full at the LICI iris holding area.

We are going to be doing some maintenance at the iris holding area over the next two weeks and will also be coming up with a plan for where the irises will be planted this fall and winter.  New sites have contacted us about having our irises planted there and we'd like to plant more irises at many of our ongoing projects.  We're hopeful the weather will cooperate during November to allow us to get some iris rescue projects done where we can dig one day and plant the irises in projects the next day.

We will also be working over the next few weeks on getting donations to fill out our budget for the year.  We welcome any size donation to help with the overhead expenses that we incur with maintaining our iris holding area and putting on volunteer events.  

We are an all-volunteer-run Louisiana-registered non-profit that aims to have a big impact at a small cost.  Clicking the button on our homepage will allow you to make a donation to us even if you do not have a PayPal account.  A credit card will work.  Any help that you can give will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

The Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative website can be found here: https://www.licisaveirises.com/

Recent articles about our work can be found here: https://www.licisaveirises.com/news

Our Facebook page can be found here:  https://www.facebook.com/licisaveirises

Our email address is: licisaveirises@gmail.com

 

 

Bearded Iris Species for the Garden

 by Tom Waters

Most of us are quite familiar with the gorgeous hybrid bearded irises grown in so many gardens around the world. Whether dwarf, median, or tall bearded, these irises are the great show-stoppers of the springtime iris parade. Every year, hybridizers introduce new varieties, so there is a never-ending stream of new colors, patterns, and flower forms.

But before hybridizers took an interest in irises - and that was scarcely more than 100 years ago - bearded irises in gardens were much like irises in nature. Yes, bearded irises are wildflowers in Europe and western Asia, where numerous different species grow on hillsides or in valleys without gardeners to care for them.

These wild bearded irises are of interest to some iris growers, for a variety of reasons. Some of us are just attracted to wild flowers, and like to see the plants as nature made them. Others are students of iris history, and it is these bearded species that are ancestral to our modern hybrids; growing them is like tracing the roots of our family tree. Others are hybridizers, curious to explore the untapped potential of these species.

Here is just a smattering of bearded iris species that may be of interest, with an emphasis on those that have been mentioned frequently in books and articles or that have featured prominently in the development of our modern bearded iris hybrids.

Iris pallida,
a form with variegated foliage

Iris pallida is a European tall bearded (TB) species, with light blue-violet flowers and straight stems with branching clustered near the top. To my eye, it is the most stately of all the bearded iris species.

I. variegata, another European species, is smaller, similar to  miniature tall bearded (MTB) irises in size, with zig-zag stems and distinctively colored flowers with yellow standards and falls marked in wine-red or brick-red.

These two species are probably the sole ancestors of the diploid tall bearded irises grown in gardens in the 1800s and early 1900s. They hybridize in nature, and these natural hybrids (amoenas, bitones, and blends) were collected by flower lovers and grown in European gardens. Any modern TB iris that has yellow (or pink or orange) coloration owes its color to I. variegata.

Iris variegata

The other wild irises important in the development of the modern TBs were a range of different tetraploid plants from various locations in the eastern Mediterranean. These include I. cypriana, I. trojana, I. mesopotamica, and some named clones such as 'Amas' and 'Ricardi'. All are purple bitones and large, well-branched plants. The botanical status of these is not as clear as might be, but every modern TB descends from them in some fashion. It was hybridizers of the early 20th century who crossed the colorful diploid pallida/variegata hybrids with these large tetraploids to create the modern tetraploid TBs that have become the most popular and widely grown of all irises.

Iris aphylla

Moving down in height, we come next to I. aphylla, a species from eastern Europe that is usually similar to standard dwarf bearded (SDB) or intermediate bearded (IB) irises in height, but copiously branched, the lowest branch usually emerging right at ground level! The flowers are dark violet, and beards usually bluish. It has been used in two different ways in breeding modern bearded irises: first in breeding "black" TBs, and then later in the work of Ben Hager and others creating the tetraploid MTBs. See my earlier blog post Our Debt to Iris aphylla.

In the realm of dwarf species, the earliest known to western European gardeners was I. lutescens (once called I. chamaeiris), which is native to the warm Mediterranean areas of Spain, France, and Italy. It was the basis for our garden dwarf bearded irises until the 1950s. Its height varies, spanning the modern MDB and SDB classes and sometimes growing even a bit taller. Colors are yellows, violets, whites, and blended and bitoned versions of those colors. See my post Iris lutescens: The Dwarfs that Time Forgot.

Iris pumila seedlings

The most important dwarf species in the development of modern dwarf and median irises is the species I. pumila, native to cooler, higher regions of eastern Europe. It is quite tiny, usually only about 4 inches tall, with blooms that appear almost stemless and  spring straight from the rhizomes. It has an extensive color range, from white to blue, purple, rosy, and yellow, usually with a darker spot of violet, red, or brown. It came to the attention of iris breeders in western Europe and the US rather late, in the mid-20th century. Once "discovered," however, it became a power player in iris breeding. I. pumila, when crossed with TBs, produced the modern SDB class, and through them the modern MDBs and IBs as well. See Iris pumila: A Tiny Treasure.

Iris reichenbachii grows wild on the Balkan peninsula, where it exists in both diploid and tetraploid forms. The flowers are rather long in form, and most are either a dull yellow or a grayish violet. This species is notable in the history of iris breeding for introducing the "dominant amoena" gene into the TB gene pool through the work of Paul Cook. Most modern bicolors have I. reichenbachii back somewhere in their family tree. See The Untapped Potential of Iris reichenbachii.

Iris reichenbachii

Also worthy of note is I. reichenachii's diploid relation, I. suaveolens (once called I. mellita). It is smaller than I. reichenbachii, but otherwise similar. It is noted for its sickle-shaped leaves, in some forms edged in a narrow line of red-violet pigment.

I hope this line-up of bearded species has piqued your interest. They are nice additions to the garden for anyone who is curious about where our garden iris "came from" or is attracted to the simple beauty of wildflower irises. One sometimes finds a few bearded species available from commercial iris growers, but more are consistently available through various seed exchanges from societies like the Species Iris Group of North America, the Scottish Rock Garden Club, the British Iris Society, or the Dwarf Iris Society.

Why not "go wild" and try some bearded species this year!

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 2022 Nies Medal Winner

'ODE TO A TOAD'

The Nies Medal is restricted to spuria irises. It is named in honor of Eric Nies (1884-1952). Eric Nies was born in Saugatuck, Michigan, but soon after Nies moved to California, he became interested in irises of all types. He obtained his first spuria irises from Jennett Dean, who operated one of the first iris specialist nurseries in the U.S. Spurias were his special interest. His first cross was Iris orientalis with 'Monspur' He interbred seedlings from this cross, and in the second generation there was a virtual explosion of color: blue, lavender, brown, bronze and cream. During his lifetime, Nies was recognized as the foremost breeder of spuria irises in the world. Marion Walker took over his seedlings and breeding lines after he died in 1952.

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

'Ode To A Toad'

photo by Michaela Lango

'Ode To A Toad' (Brad Kasperek, R. 2012) Seedling #6SP-120B. SPU, 38" (97 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards rich red-brown maroon; style arms mottled brown and purple; falls orange-gold, rimmed and veined smoky red-brown maroon. 

'Wyoming Cowboys' X 'Missouri Orange'. Introduced by Zebra Gardens in 2012.

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 2022 Morgan-Wood Medal Winner

'FISHERMAN'S FANCY'

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.

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

'Fisherman's Fancy'
photo by Ensata Gardens

'Fisherman's Fancy' (James Copeland, Sr., R. 2011) Seedling 2007-3. SIB, 20 (51 cm), Midseason to late bloom. Standards medium lavender (RHS 85A) overlaid rose, base of standards darker rose (80A); style arms turquoise (109C); Falls light rose-violet (80C), much darker rose violet near signal (80A); signals double lobed chartreuse (149C) outlined in dark blue violet. ( 'Esther C. D. M.' x ((( 'Pink Haze' x 'Dear Delight') x 'Pink Haze') x (( 'Pink Haze' x 'Dear Delight') x 'Pink Haze'))) X self. Introduced by Ensata Gardens in 2012. 

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 2022 DeBaillon Medal Winner

'WATERMELON WIZARD'

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.

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

'Watermelon Wizard'
photo by Riley Probst

'Watermelon Wizard' (Hooker Nichols, R. 2011) Seedling LA 05-70. LA, 36 (91 cm), Late midseason bloom. Standards and falls salmon-raspberry blend, darker veining and lines throughout; signals small gold line. 'Heather Pryor' X 'Guessing Game'. Introduced by Hillcrest Iris Gardens in 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 on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2022 Mitchell Medal Winner

'GOING BANANAS'

The Mitchell Medal is restricted to Pacific Coast Native (PCN) irises. It is named in honor of Sydney B. Mitchell (1878-1951). Professor 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 Iris innominata and I. douglasiana. 

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

'Going Bananas'
photo by Mike Unser

'Going Bananas' (Joseph Ghio, R. 2010) Seedling #JP-121Z. CA, 12" (30 cm). Early thru late bloom. Gold self, creamy white dime signal. Seedling #HP-152R2: (seedling #FP-273U2: (seedling #DP-260N2, 'Coin Of The Realm' pod parent, x seedling #DP-250, 'Marriage Proposal' sibling) x 'Bowl Of Fluff') X seedling #HP-125X2, 'Cashing In' sibling. Introduced by Bay View Gardens in 2010.

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 2022 Randolph-Perry Medal Winners

 'KUROKAWA-NOH' and 'YASHA' (Tie)

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, 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. hartwegii).

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

Pseudata 'Kurokawa-Noh'
photo by Terry Aitken

'Kurokawa-Noh' (J. Terry Aitken, R. 2011) SPEC-X (pseudata), 52 (132 cm), Midseason late bloom. Standards cream overlaid burgundy wash and veins, inconspicuous; style arms deep burgundy, yellow stigmatic lip, semi-upright; Falls cream washed burgundy at edges and delicately applied on veins, dramatic deep burgundy eye shadow halo around gold signal, semi-flared. Parentage unknown, seed from Hiroshi Shimizu. Introduced through Aitken's Salmon Creek Garden in 2011.

Pseudata: 'Yasha'

photo by Mike Unser

'Yasha' (Hiroshi Shimizu by Carol Warner, R. 2010) SPEC-X (Pseudata); 48", Midseason bloom. Red-violet standards and falls, very deep red-violet eyelash around smaller yellow signal; violet style arms; color changes dramatically as flower opens. 'Gubijin' X unknown (mixed JI pollen). Introduced by Carol Warner's Draycott Gardens in 2010.

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 2022 Founders of SIGNA Medal Winner

'ALL STRIPES'

The Founders of SIGNA Medal is restricted to species irises (SPEC) and is named to honor the founding members of the Species Iris Group of North America (SIGNA). Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

'All Stripes'

photo by Carl Boro

'All Stripes'> (Marty Schafer and Jan Sacks, R. 2014). Seedling #SP07-3-10. SPEC (setosa), 18" (46 cm). Late midseason bloom. Standards insignificant bristles; style arms cream ground, heavily sanded raspberry; falls white ground heavily veined raspberry (RHS 72A), V-shaped white signal has touch of yellow at the hafts. Parentage unknown, SIGNA seed from Fumiharu Sato. Introduced by Joe Pye Weed's Garden of Marty Schafer and Jan Sacks 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 2022 C. G. White Medal Winner

'ALAKAZAM'

Since 1993, the Clarence G. White Memorial Medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with 1/2 or more aril ancestry. When Clarence G. White began his work with aril irises, little was known about the complexity of iris genetics. White assembled the largest collection of aril irises in the world and conducted thousands of breeding experiments to obtain viable, fertile seedlings. One of his goals was to develop strong, pure Oncocylus hybrids.

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

'Alakazam'

photo by Jeanette Graham

'Alakazam' (Richard Tasco, R. 2013) Seedling 07-AB-52-07. AB (OGB), 36" (91 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards light pink-lavender ground, veined darker pink-violet; style arms light maize, pink-violet midrib, pink crest, veined darker; Falls light parchment-lavender heavily veined dark burgundy all over to the edge, signal very diffuse and small, veined dark burgundy; beards gold-bronze in middle and throat, burgundy end, sparse and insignificant; medium purple based foliage; regelia form. Seedling 05-AB-10-14: ('Energizer' x 'Desert Embroidery') X 'Desert Embroidery'. Introduced by Superstition Iris Gardens in 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 on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2022 Caparne-Welch Medal Winner

'RIVULET'

The Caparne-Welch Medal is restricted to miniature dwarf bearded (MDB) irises. It is named in honor of William John Caparne (1855-1940) and Walter Welch (1887-1980). Caparne worked extensively breeding various dwarf iris species and was the first iris hybridizer to concentrate on smaller irises. Most of the dwarf iris cultivars grown in gardens in the first quarter of the 20th century were products of Caparne's hybridizing efforts. Walter Welch was the founder of the Dwarf Iris Society. After moving to Middlebury, Indiana, he met Paul Cook and began hybridizing irises. He shared Cook's enthusiasm for dwarf irises and set out to develop new forms for the garden.

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

'Rivulet'
photo by Keith Keppel

'Rivulet' (Keith Keppel, R. 2011) Seedling #06-216C. MDB, 7" (18 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards and style arms light blue (M&P 42-AB-7); falls paler and creamier blue (42-A-6); beards yellow orange on white base in throat, white at end. 'Fib' X 'Microwave'. Introduced by Keith Keppel Iris 2012.

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 2022 Cook-Douglas Medal Winner

'COCONINO'

 The Cook-Douglas Medal is restricted to standard dwarf bearded (SDB) irises. It is named in honor of Paul Cook (1891-1963) and Geddes Douglas (1902-1993). Paul Cook's work with dwarf irises was truly pioneering. His early breeding of dwarf irises led to a series of I. arenaria hybrids, the most notable being 'Keepsake,' 'Tampa,' and 'Promise.' He was the first to use the true I. pumila in his breeding programs, and this resulted in the introduction of the first of the great stud irises in the standard dwarf class: 'Baria,' 'Fairy Flax,' and 'Green Spot.'

Geddes Douglas was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1902. Douglas was a chemist and businessman. In the early 1950s, he founded the Geddes Douglas Garden Center in Nashville. He became a leader in the Tennessee Nurserymen's Association, and served a term as president of the Southern Nursery Association.

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

 

'COCONINO'
photo by Sutton's Iris Gardens

'Coconino' (Marky Smith, R. 2009). Seedling 04-11S. SDB, 13" (33 cm), Early bloom. Standards oyster cream (RHS 160D); style arms pale grey, crests oyster cream; falls blackened mulberry (slightly blacker than 79A), cream (160B) wire rim, cream feathers around beard; beards yellow orange in throat, yellow tipped cream in middle, cream at end; ruffled. P. Black seedling B279A,'Puddy Tat' sibling X seedling 02-09A: ('Ajax The Less' x ('Captive Sun' x 'Minidragon' sibling)). Introduced by Aitken's Salmon Creek Garden in 2012.

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 2022 Williamson-White Medal Winner

'BREAKFAST IN BED'

The Williamson-White Medal is restricted to miniature tall bearded (MTB) irises. It is named in honor of E. B. Williamson (1877-1933), his daughter Mary Williamson (1909-1987) and Alice White (1886-1969). Although others had introduced irises that fit into the miniature tall bearded iris class before Williamson, he and his daughter were the first to breed them as cultivars in a distinctive class of irises. They were apparently byproducts of breeding for tall bearded irises. In the early 1950s, Alice White of Hemet, California began a crusade to gain recognition for the assets of these wonderful smaller irises. She organized table iris robins and wrote many articles for the AIS Bulletin and gardening magazines promoting their virtues.

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

'BREAKFAST IN BED'
photo by Mike Unser

'Breakfast in Bed' (Charles Bunnell, R. 2013) Seedling #K65B-10. MTB, 22-25 (56-63 cm). Late midseason bloom. Standards yellow (RHS 2B) blended with red-purple (71B), veined red-purple; style arms yellow; falls cream, red-purple blend towards middle end of falls, rims are bright yellow, heavily veined red-purple; beard hairs based yellow-orange, yellow tips. 'Yellow Flirt' X seedling #E24-2: ( 'Consummation' x 'Rosemary's Dream'). Introduced by Aitken's Salmon Creek Garden 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 2022 Sass Medal Winner

'APPLE CRISP'

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.

'APPLE CRISP'

photo by Jeanette Graham

'Apple Crisp' (Paul Black, R. 2013) Seedling #R202B. IB, 26" (66 cm), Midseason to late bloom. Standards mid gold, mid garnet wash over center, yellow-gold rim; style arms mid gold; falls mid gold, mid brown-tan veins/wash beside beards, mid yellow patch below beard, remainder heavily washed garnet in center and lighter towards mid yellow rim; beards gold; pronounced spicy fragrance. Seedling M18A: ('High Master' x seedling J212A: ('Key To Success' selfed)) X 'Love Spell'. Introduced by Mid-America Garden 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 2022 Knowlton Medal Winner

'BOY GENIUS'

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.

'BOY GENIUS' 

photo by Jeanette Graham

 'Boy Genius' (Joseph Ghio, R. 2011) Seedling #04-44B. BB, 25" (64 cm), Very early to early bloom. Standards gold, black tint at midrib; falls almost solid mahogany black, gold dotting around beards, gold hairline edge; beards gold. Seedling 02-160: (seedling 00-98B: ('Feelings' x seedling U97-F, unknown) x 'High Master') X seedling 02-317Q: ('High Master' x seedling 00-98B). Introduced by Bay View Gardens in 2012.

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 2022 Wister Medal Winners

'GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE' - 'TIJUANA TAXI' -

'COAL SEAMS' 

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 fourteen years. 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 'GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE'
photo by Mike Unser

'Good Morning Sunshine' (Thomas Johnson, R.2014). Seedling TD20A. TB, 33" (84 cm). Midseason to late bloom. Standards bright sunshine yellow; style arms yellow; falls violet-purple wash below beards, deep yellow thumbprint hafts and wide diffused edge; beards old gold; sweet fragrance. 'Bollywood' X 'Catwalk Queen'. Introduced by Mid-America in 2014.

Tall bearded iris 'TIJUANA TAXI'
photo by Jeanette Graham

'Tijuana Taxi' (Douglas Kanarowski, R. 2014). Seedling# 0453. TB, 41" (104 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards fiery red-orange; style arms slightly darker orange than standards; falls red-orange, darker orange centerline, wide ruby-red-wine band hairline edged mid-orange, discrete wire rim, serrated edge; beards red-tangerine; moderate ruffles; pronounced sweet and strong vanilla fragrance. Tasco seedling# 02-TB-63-22: ('Return to Sender' x 'Jaunty Dancer') X seedling# 0365: ('Typsy Gypsy' x 'Starring'). Introduced by Mariposa Iris in 2014.

Tall bearded iris 'COAL SEAMS'
photo by Bryce Williamson

'Coal Seams' (Schreiner, R. 2013). Seedling# MM 425-1. TB, 41" (104 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards dark purple (RHS 89B); falls slightly darker purple (89A); beards dark purple. 'Badlands' X seedling# GG 378-A: ('Dark Passion' x 'Thunder Spirit'). Introduced by Schreiner's Iris Gardens in 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 on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

The American Iris Society Announces the 2022 Dykes Medal Winner

'FOOTBALL HERO'

First awarded in 1927, the Dykes Medal is the highest award of the American Iris Society (AIS). It is named for William Rickatson Dykes (1877-1925) and is awarded to no more than one iris per year. Irises are eligible as a Dykes medal candidate for three years following the winning of a classification medal. Only AIS registered judges may vote. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

Tall bearded iris 'FOOTBALL HERO' 
photo by Carl Boro

 'Football Hero' (Lynda Miller, R. 2014). Seedling# 8010A. TB, 36" (91 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards butter yellow; style arms same, accented violet; falls plum-purple, pale smoky orchid edged; beards gold; slight musky fragrance. 'Hoosier Dome' X 'Saturn'. Salmon Creek 2015.

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.