Bryce Williamson

A native Californian, Bryce was born in Reedley and spent his early years in the rural San Joaquin Valley. His family moved to Sunnyvale just before he started junior high and later moved to Campbell where he went to Campbell High School. During his sophomore year, illness kept him out of school, but brought about a life-long interest in plants and gardening, especially growing and hybridizing iris. As a parallel to that interest, he also developed an long-term interest in photography.
....With that interest in irises, Bryce Williamson has been creating and introducing his own hybrids since 1970. For many years, he ran a summer mail order business selling plants; however, in recent years he has cut the garden back choosing instead to grow fewer plants and enjoy them more. Presently his iris introductions, including his new creation for 1998, Next Step, are released through Stockton Iris Gardens. Photos of Williamson irises have appeared in national and international color catalogs and the magazines Horticulture and Better Homes and Gardens.
....An interest in plants, centered around iris, fostered an interest in plant societies -- paticularily the American Iris Society. He has served as president of the Clara B. Rees Iris Society in San Jose, worked on various committees for Region 14 (Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii) of the AIS including publicity chairman and three-and-half years as the editor of The Bulletin of Region 14. He has continued to contribute articles and serve as guest editor for plant publications. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Regional Vice President for Region 14. This spring Region 14 present him with their honorary life time achievement award.
....Irises created in his garden are grown all around the world including Australia and South Africa. Two of his hybrids, Chamber Music and Prince Charming, have won the top international competition at Florence, Italy and in 1991 his Jesse's Song won the William R. Dykes Memorial Medal, the highest garden honor possible for iris since only one is awarded each year. The award is named in honor of the Englishman who systematized the genus iris (along with tulips) before his untimely death in a car accident.
....Jesse's Song continues to be very popular -- number three on the American Iris Society Popularity Poll of its members. In 1999, Jesse's Song was voted the most popular iris in America in a poll based on USDA climate zones, indicating that Jesse's Song can and does grow and bloom well in a wide variety of areas and climates. ..................................Return to people index

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