2025 Popularity Poll Results - Non-Bearded Iris

In this poll, 390 online participants submitted a list of up to 25 of their "favorite iris that grows well for them" to the AIS website between November 2025 and January 2026. The data here is taken from the AIS results in this pdf: https://new.irises.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Popularity-_Final.pdf with minor corrections.

This gallery shows the top five results (including ties) for all non-bearded classes. Groups are ordered of total votes for irises in that class. Number of votes recieved for individual cultivars is listed in parentheses

Top 5 Louisiana Iris (347 entries, 4.20%)

#1 (11) 'Black Gamecock' (Chowning, 1980) 24" L

#2 (9) 'Acadian Sky' (Musacchia, 2017) 35"-36" M

#3 (6) 'Edna Claunch' ( Wolford, 2004) 26" M

#3 (6) 'Rooster' (Betzer, 2014) 29" E to M

#5 (6) 'Watermelon Wizard' ( Nichols, 2011) 36" LM

Top 5 Siberian Iris (271 entries, 3.28%)

#1 (22) 'Swans in Flight' (Hollingworth, 2006) 33" L to VL	#2 (9) 'Caesar's Brother' (Morgan, 1932)	#2 (9) 'Ginger Twist' (Schafer/Sacks, 2009) 30" E	#4 (7) 'Paprikash' (Schafer/Sacks, 2012) 20" M
#5 (6) 'Black Joker' (Schafer/Sacks, 2013) 19" M to L	#5 (6) 'Fiddles on Fire' (Schafer/Sacks, 2017) 20" M	#5 (6) 'My Girl Emily' (Cole, 2012) 32" EM	#5 (6) 'Shaker's Prayer' (Warner, 1990) 30-36" E to L

Top 5 Species (110 entries, 1.33%)

#1 (10) Iris tectorum	#2 (9) Iris pallida	#3 (8) Iris graminea
#4 (6) Iris florentina	#4 (6) Iris lactea	#4 (6) Iris laevigata

Top 5 Japanese Iris (104 entries, 1.26%)

#1 (5) 'Pink Playmate' (Harris, 2018) 24" M	#2 (4) 'Lake Effect' (Bauer/Coble, 2004) 36" M	#2 (4) 'Twilight's Splendor' (Harris, 2023) 38" L
#4 (3) 'Blushing Snowmaiden' (Harris, 2000) 40" M	#4 (3) 'Indigo Angel' (Bauer/Coble, 2011) 36" M	#4 (3) 'Dirigo Red Rocket' (White, 2000). 40" E to L

Top 5 Species Cross (86 entries, 1.04%)

#1 (12) 'Alabama Blue Fin' (Copeland, 2017) 38" LM	#2 (8) 'Ally Oops' (Borglum, 2000) 18" EM	#3 (4) 'Violet Swallows' (Harris, 2016) 60" L
#4 (3) 'Lemony Snicket' (Copeland, 2016) 44" L	#4 (3) 'Roy Davidson' (Hager, 1987) 34" E to L	#4 (3) 'Shirabyoshi' (Shimizu 2008) 33" EM	#4 (3) 'Yarai' (Shimizu, 2011) 27" VE

Top 5 Spuria (74 entries, 0.90%)

#1 (4) 'Betty Cooper' (McCown, 1982) 48" M

#2 (3) 'Line Dancing' (Jenkins, 2007) 40" EM

#2 (3) 'Red Warlord' (Walker, 2016) 40" M

#2 (3) 'Sunny Day' (Sass, 1931)

#2 (3) 'Vintage Year' (Niswonger, 1980) 40" M

Top 5 Pacific Coast Iris (38 entries, 0.46%)

#1 (4) 'Big Money' (Ghio, 1984) 10" EM

#2 (3) 'Canyon Snow' (Emery, 1975) 17" E to M

#3 (2) 'Mission Santa Cruz' (Ghio, 1982) 12" M

#3 (2) 'Multiplicity' (Ghio, 2005) 17" M

#3 (2) 'Premonition of Spring' (Knipe, R. 2012) 12" VE to M