Each year, the American Iris Society (AIS) and its qualified, registered judges make specific awards to Iris varieties. These awards are a very useful tool in selecting iris that have the best growing qualities. ie., flower form, colour, number of buds, branching, substance etc.

Since Award winners typically set the standards for irises, they form the basis of the varieties that we select to grow and offer to our customers.

We have listed the awards won by each variety in our descriptions. Here is an example:

Daring Deception, (TB), (T. Johnson '12), M, 35" (89cm), HM '14, AM '16, WW '19, DM '21 is a Tall Bearded Iris, was hybridized by Tom Johnson and offered for sale to the public in 2012. It blooms during the Mid (M) Tall Bearded bloom season and is typically 35 inches (89 centimeters) tall. It received it's Honourable Mention (HM) Award in 2014, the Award of Merit (AM) in 2016, the John Wister Medal (JW) in 2019 and finally the American Dykes Medal DM) in 2021.

The Dykes Medal is the top award for all classes of Iris. Due to Covid 19, there were no awards in 2020. Therefore, 2 irises received the a Dykes Medal in 2021.

Remember, since it takes at least 7 years to achieve a Dykes Medal (DM), the newer varieties are still in the running. Try your luck in selecting the best for your garden.

Have a look at the Dykes Medal Winners that we grow.