The Beardless Iris Awards 2013

Besides the bearded iris, beardless iris are well loved and these awards honor the hybridizers of these classes.  Most popular among these are the siberians.  Beyond their lovely flower the grassy foliage make them a great landscaping choice. My favorites are the Japanese (Ensata) iris.  Their large flat presentation recall the whirling dervish.  Lousiana iris are the only iris with a true red petal.

Here, again from the AIS Wiki are the beardless award winners:

THE FOUNDERS OF SIGNA MEDAL, SPEC irises (Total votes cast = 123)
42 ‘Woolong’, (James Waddick) Iris Tectorum

Runners Up: 
33 ‘Epic Poem’, (Marty Schafer/Jan Sacks); 28 ‘Jin Yu’, (Jill Copeland); 20 ‘Caitlin's Smile’, (James Waddick By Kevin Morley)


THE RANDOLPH PERRY MEDAL, SPEC-X irises (Total votes cast = 159)
45 ‘Roy's Repeater’, (J. T. Aitken)

 
Runners Up:
37 ‘Wooly Bully’, (Jill Copeland); 33 ‘Celia Welia’, (Jill Copeland); 30 ‘Kinshikou’, (Hiroshi Shimizu By Carol Warner) 14 ‘Everest Blue’ (O. D. Niswonger)

THE SYDNEY B. MITCHELL MEDAL, CA irises (Total votes cast = 33)
9 ‘Hidden Asset’, (Duane Meek)

9 ‘Lines That Rhyme’ (Joseph Ghio)

Runners Up:
6 ‘Rodeo Gulch’, (Joseph Ghio); 5 ‘Dot The Eyes’, (Joseph Ghio)


THE MARY SWORDS DEBAILLON MEDAL, LA irises (Total votes cast = 127)
34 ‘James Faith’, (M. D. Faith)

Runners Up:
27 ‘Frenchmen Street’, (Patrick O'Connor); 25 ‘Renée Fleming’, (Heather Pryor); 23 ‘Hail Mary’, (Mary Dunn By Joseph Ghio); 18 ‘Frederick Douglass’, (Dorman Haymon)


THE MORGAN-WOOD MEDAL, SIB irises (Total votes cast = 243)
81 ‘Swans In Flight’, (Robert Hollingworth)

Runners Up:
40 ‘Uncorked’, (Marty Schafer/Jan Sacks); 39 ‘Emily Anne’, (Robert Hollingworth); 28 ‘Charming Billy’, (Marty Schafer/Jan Sacks); 28 ‘Kaboom’, (Bob Bauer/John Coble); 27 ‘Haleakala’, (Marky Smith)

 THE ERIC NIES MEDAL, SPU irises (Total votes cast = 132)
38 ‘Missouri Orchid’, (O. D. Niswonger)

Runners Up:
34 ‘Golden Ducat’, (Anna & David Cadd); 27 ‘Hocka Hoona’, (Peter Desantis), 17 ‘Doris Irene’, (B. Charles Jenkins); 16 ‘Sunrise Surprise’, (O. D. Niswonger)


THE PAYNE MEDAL, JI irises (Total votes cast = 95)
26 ‘Bewitching Twilight’, (Chad Harris)

Runners Up:
25 ‘Lady In Pink’, (J. T. Aitken); 25 ‘Pink Puffer’, (Jill Copeland); 19 ‘Beyond Chance’, (Donald Delmez)