Hybridizer: B. Charles Jenkins (1921-2011)

Dr. B. Charles Jenkins was born in British Columbia, and raised on a farm near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He graduated in vocational argiculture from the Vermilion School of Agriculture expecting to remain on the farm, but won a university entrance scholarship. He addended the University of Alberta, earning a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Agriculture with specialization in breeding cereal crops.

Charlie worked at the Canada Agriculture Research Stations in several locations. He assisted in developing the first commercial wheat resistant to the wheamstem sawfly. He graduated with a PhD in Genetics from the University of California in 1950. He taught at the University of Saskatchewan and at the University of Manitoba. He was one of the pioneers in developing the new cereal grain triticale, a cross between wheat and rye. Dr. Jenkins continued his triticale work for 35 years with his own research organization and with private companies.

He retired in 1985 and was able to devote more time to his hobby of breeding irises. He started with spurias in 1966 when given plants by Eleanor McCown. He made crosses with spuroes, Dutch, TB, and Pacific Coast Native (PCN) classes, but only introduced in the PCN and spuria classes. His first three registrations were in 1989 including 'Candle Lace', which won an HM in 1992 and AM in 1995. He registered 10 PCNs and 85 spuries. He won 16 HMs and 7 AMs and one Eric Nies Medal in 2008 for 'Elfin Sunshine' (1998). His last introduction was in 2008 via Jim Hedgecock who is growing many of his later spuries at Comanche Acres in Gower, Missouri. Dr. B. Charles Jenkins became a member of AIS in the 1950s. He moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1992 where he had an association with Shephard Iris Garden in Phoenix. He was a member of Sun Country Iris Society where he became an iris legend as he already was in cereal crops. His personal hybridizing goals were to hybridize shorter spurias and spurias with lace. 'Elfin Sunshine' certainly fulfilled the first goal, while 'Touch of Lace' (1991) nailed the second. He was a member of the Spuria Iris Society since 1968 and was Spuria News editor from 1989-1992. Charles was awarded the AIS Hybridizer Medal in 2009. (excerpted from IRISES: The Bulletin of the American Iris Society, Vol. 92, No.3, July 2011)

List of registrations/introductions:

Pacific Coast Native: 'Carmel Gem', 'Gold Dusted', 'Little Jester', 'Little Toby', 'Monterey Snow', 'Pacific Orphan', 'Rhett's Memory', 'Silver Circle', 'Tiger Cub', 'Triple Heart', 'Yulovit',

Spuria: 'Alphaspu', 'Amanda's Eyes', 'Amber Gleam', 'April's Birthday', 'Arzionique', 'Baby Chick', 'Bali Bali', 'Beesea', 'Billowing Clouds', 'Bronze Art', 'Brown Tiger', 'Butter Ripples', 'Butterscotch Queen', 'Calizona', 'Candle Lace', 'Carole's Choice', 'Cherub In Blue', 'Clara Ellen', 'Clover Honey', 'Color Focus', 'Color Sorcery', 'Comanche Moon', 'Cowboy Country', 'Dandilite', 'Doris Irene', 'Edith Mae', 'Edith's Color', 'Elfin Sunshine', 'Falcon's Brother', 'Falcon's Crest', 'Final Day', 'Finally Free', 'Galaxy Lord', 'Giuseppe', 'Guest Appearance', 'Heaven Bound', 'Ice Glow', 'Irene Benton', 'Iridescent Bronze', 'Lady Butterfly', 'Lavender Pup', 'Lavender Waves', 'Lemon Table', 'Lemon Touch', 'Lighted Signal', 'Line Dancing', 'Little Frills', 'Little Splash', 'Lively One', 'Look Again', 'Megabright', 'Megagold', 'Mighty Dark', 'Minitrend', 'Montana Dusk', 'My Gold', 'My Impulse', 'My Sprite', 'My Topaz', 'New Vista', 'No Mas Dinero', 'Overwhelmed', 'Painter's Choice', 'Perky Blue', 'Piper May', 'Popped Corn', 'Prime Contender', 'Proud Moment', 'Purple Concerto', 'Purple Reign', 'Purple Smoke', 'Red Won', 'Rhett's Surprise', 'Rodeo Blue', 'Royal Cadet', 'Snow Giant', 'Stella Irene', 'Strike Zone', 'Sun Halo', 'Sun Splash', 'Sunset Colors', 'Tiffany May', 'Tiny Lou', 'Touch of Lace', 'Touch of Love', 'Twice Best', 'Universal Peace', 'White Shimmer', 'Yellowcopter', 'Zulu Chief'.

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Topic revision: 13 Dec 2016, Harloiris
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