Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is ishs.org legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns ishs.org?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for ishs.org. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Lifeline · ishs.org over time
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 28 years ago · on AboutUs since 2007 · 2 registrar changes since Jul 25, 2011 · no registrant change on record since 2011 · last checked Sep 17, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredMar 16, 1998ishs.org was registered on Mar 16, 1998.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 17, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJul 28, 2007 – Nov 11, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described ishs.org from Jul 28, 2007 to Nov 11, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
Tucows Inc. (R11-LROR)Jul 25, 2011 – Aug 8, 2012Registrar Tucows Inc. (R11-LROR) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for ishs.org, from Jul 25, 2011 to Aug 8, 2012.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)TUCOWS, INC.TUCOWS, INC.Aug 17, 2018 – Sep 10, 2023
Registrant
Registrant recordsJul 25, 2011 – Jun 23, 2026Registration records for ishs.org are held from Jul 25, 2011 to Jun 23, 2026 (82 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No registrant changes recorded, 2011–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: skynet.beNameservers: skynet.beJul 25, 2011 – Sep 10, 2023Registration records listed skynet.be nameservers (ns1.skynet.be, ns2.skynet.be, ns3.skynet.be…) for ishs.org from Jul 25, 2011 to Sep 10, 2023.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)Nameservers: kuleuven.be
Certificate
Let's EncryptMay 2, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026 (latest)Let's Encrypt issued 8 certificates for ishs.org from May 2, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027. Seen in use on Sep 17, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Sep 17, 2026
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (12)
Mar 16, 1998Registration: ishs.org was registered on Mar 16, 1998.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 17, 2026
Jul 1, 2007AboutUs record: “The ISHS, dating from 1864 and formally constituted in 1959, has more than 6500 members representing 146 countries. It is the world's leading independent organization of horticultural scientists and publisher of Acta Ho…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Jul 28, 2007 – Nov 11, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described ishs.org from Jul 28, 2007 to Nov 11, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 25, 2011 – Aug 8, 2012Registrar: Registrar Tucows Inc. (R11-LROR) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for ishs.org, from Jul 25, 2011 to Aug 8, 2012.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Jul 25, 2011 – Jun 23, 2026Registrant: Registration records for ishs.org are held from Jul 25, 2011 to Jun 23, 2026 (82 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Jul 25, 2011 – Sep 10, 2023
Said about itself in 2007
Jul 1, 2007
“The ISHS, dating from 1864 and formally constituted in 1959, has more than 6500 members representing 146 countries. It is the world's leading independent organization of horticultural scientists and publisher of Acta Ho…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Current AboutUs recordJul 1, 2026 – Aug 23, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 23, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Registrar TUCOWS, INC. (IANA 69) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for ishs.org, from Aug 17, 2018 to Sep 10, 2023.
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Combell NVCombell NVOct 28, 2023 – Sep 19, 2026 (latest)Registrar Combell NV (IANA 1467) in the registration data recorded, first on Oct 28, 2023 and most recently on Sep 19, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 17, 2026
Nameservers: kuleuven.beOct 28, 2023 – Jun 23, 2026Registration records listed kuleuven.be nameservers (dns1.kulnet.kuleuven.be, dns2.kulnet.kuleuven.be) for ishs.org from Oct 28, 2023 to Jun 23, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to kuleuven.beOct 28, 2023ishs.org's nameservers moved from skynet.be to kuleuven.be at some point between Sep 10, 2023 and Oct 28, 2023. Last seen at skynet.be: Sep 10, 2023 (registration record). First seen at kuleuven.be: Oct 28, 2023 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 48 days in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Zone file: Registration records listed skynet.be nameservers (ns1.skynet.be, ns2.skynet.be, ns3.skynet.be…) for ishs.org from Jul 25, 2011 to Sep 10, 2023.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Aug 17, 2018 – Sep 10, 2023Registrar: Registrar TUCOWS, INC. (IANA 69) in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for ishs.org, from Aug 17, 2018 to Sep 10, 2023.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Oct 28, 2023 – Sep 19, 2026Registrar: Registrar Combell NV (IANA 1467) in the registration data recorded, first on Oct 28, 2023 and most recently on Sep 19, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Sep 17, 2026
Oct 28, 2023 – Jun 23, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed kuleuven.be nameservers (dns1.kulnet.kuleuven.be, dns2.kulnet.kuleuven.be) for ishs.org from Oct 28, 2023 to Jun 23, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Oct 28, 2023Zone file: ishs.org's nameservers moved from skynet.be to kuleuven.be at some point between Sep 10, 2023 and Oct 28, 2023. Last seen at skynet.be: Sep 10, 2023 (registration record). First seen at kuleuven.be: Oct 28, 2023 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 48 days in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
May 2, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 8 certificates for ishs.org from May 2, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027. Seen in use on Sep 17, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Sep 17, 2026
Jul 1, 2026 – Aug 23, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 23, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Registered 1998 · site is live · HTTPS valid
Ishs.org is dedicated to the study and promotion of horticulture
International Society for Horticultural Science - www.ishs.org
Authority 59/100— ahead of 59% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
59 is a percentile: higher than 59% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #222,095)+5
Verified continuity: 28.6 years (RDAP registration)+11
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+2
Calibration adjustment (published map)+9
Model score: 31/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 59/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
What ishs.org said about itself, 2007
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2007
The ISHS, dating from 1864 and formally constituted in 1959, has more than 6500 members representing 146 countries. It is the world's leading independent organization of horticultural scientists and publisher of Acta Horticulturae, Chronica Horticulturae, and Scripta Horticulturae
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date.
✓ domain continuity 28 years registered✓ live verified Nov 7, 2026
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 76 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 76 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment