Announcements

  • 2024 Membership Drive launches March 1st. The purchase of one new full AIS membership qualifies the purchaser for up to two free, one-year, youth print memberships. In addition, if an AIS member upgrades to a full membership from a print or e-membership, they also will qualify for up to two free, one-year, youth print memberships. Youth membership is for gardeners aged 18 and younger. (FYI, the regular rate for each youth print membership is $12.) The Membership Drive will run from March 1 to December 31, 2024.
  • The AIS Handbook for Judges Committee has elected a new deadline. Please submit your suggested edits by September 30, 2024 to .
  • Gift Memberships. The AIS integrated online system can now process gift memberships! To purchase a membership as a gift to someone else, go to https://system.irises.org/membership and check the “This purchase is a gift” box. You will be prompted for the recipient’s name, address, and email address (if applicable).
  • Missing bulletins? There has been a change in how the U.S. Postal Service handles mis-delivered bulletins. They no longer send such bulletins back, or send paper notifications of failed deliveries or address changes. While we do expect to get electronic notifications of address changes if they have been filed with the USPS, it is very important to make sure that AIS has your current mailing address and email address on file. You can notify the membership secretary of any changes via email at , by phone at (510) 864-7962, or via mail: AIS Membership Secretary, 1226 High Street, Alameda, CA 94501.
  • Hotel registrations for the 2024 AIS National Convention can be made on-line at: convention hotel website
  • The Iris Society of Dallas is happy to host the 2024 first-ever joint Louisiana and Spuria Iris Convention. Both Louisiana and Spuria irises bloom at the same time in Texas. For those of you that attended the 2023 AIS National Convention in Dallas, you saw how well the Louisiana and Spuria iris grow. FIVE area gardens will be showcased. Complete information for the April 26 – 28, 2024 Convention is now available.
  • Exhibitions Has a New Schedules Chair Attention!! Attention!! All you show chairs and show schedule writers! AIS Exhibitions Committee has a new Schedules Chair. For the 2024 show season, you should send your draft schedules for approval to: Olga Batalov, E-mail: . Cell Phone: 858-405-9077 (please email first, I do not answer calls from unknown numbers) Snail-mail address: 8715 Sparren Way, San Diego, CA 92129.
  • Tell Us About Your Reblooms: The Reblooming Iris Society (RIS) is currently collecting data for its 2023 Rebloom Report. Did you know that anyone, even if they do not belong to the RIS can submit data for this very important report? Yes, even you can supply information to be included in the report. We have even made it easy for you. Currently there is a fillable PDF available for you to fill out so you can submit a report of those irises in your garden that rebloom. You can download the form at: https://www.irisregion4.com/publications/RebloomReport.pdf After filling out the form you can send it by snail mail to: Mary Platner, 8217 E. Del Camino Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85258, or by email to: .

Press Releases

The 2024 IRIS OF THE YEAR is “Don’t Doubt Dalton”. The American Iris Society (AIS) is pleased to announce the 2024 “Iris of the Year”: tall bearded iris ‘Don’t Doubt Dalton’. This outstanding iris is the result of work conducted by plant hybridizer Tom Burseen of Grand Prairie, Texas. He introduced ‘Don’t Doubt Dalton’ to the public through his commercial iris garden in 2015. Tom named this iris for a friend’s grandson who rides bulls. Tom is known for his tall bearded iris hybrids with unusual names. He also received the AIS Hybridizer Award in 2022. Download the full PRESS RELEASE.

Spring 2024 AIS Bulletin

The Winter 2024 issue of the AIS Bulletin is now available for online viewing within the Emembers section of the AIS Website. Previous AIS Bulletin issues are also available for viewing in this area.

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

AIS Board Conference Calls

The AIS Board is holding monthly Board meetings using an electronic conferencing program named Zoom.
The meetings are open to anyone. Participants may join the meeting using a web browser or simply calling into a phone conference number. The meetings can be attended using mobile devices as well. For information on using the Zoom software please go to:
 The Zoom Help Center

The meetings are scheduled on the fourth Wednesday of the selected months and start at 5:00 PM Pacific Time

To attend a meeting, please email the AIS Secretary at