The Charles W. Arny, Jr. award recognizes promising Louisiana irises and rewards the hybridizers of those cultivars for their work. Although many members continue to vote for the older cultivars, the intended purpose of the award is to encourage hbridizers and recognize outstanding recent introductions. The award was established in 1993 in honor of his pioneering work done with Louisiana irises and his promotion and world-wide distribution of the flower. The winner of this award shall be selected by the annual SLI Popularity Poll.

The winner for 2017 is ‘Edna Claunch’ by Harry Wolford of FL (2004). ‘Edna Claunch’ was awarded the AIS Honorable Mention in 2010, the Award of Merit in 2012 and the Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal in 2014. It also won the Caillet Cup in 2013. Congratulations Harry Wolford!

Runners-up: ‘Red Velvet Elvis’ with 30%; ‘Deja Voodoo’ with 25%; ‘Gris Gris’ with 20%; ‘Ginny’s Choice with 20%; ‘Dark Dude’ with 19%; ‘Dixie Deb’ with 19%