The American Hemerocallis (daylily) Society (AHS) suggests that the daylily is the perfect perennial for the following reasons. They are "available in a rainbow of colors and a variety of shapes and sizes; able to survive with very little care in a wide range of climates; suitable for all types of landscapes; drought tolerant when necessary, with relatively few pest and disease problems in most gardens; adaptable to various soil and light conditions." What's not to like about daylilies?Hemerocallis comes from two Greek words meaning beauty and day, an appropriate name since each flower on a scape lasts only one day and is, indeed, a one-day beauty. Since there are many stalks in each clump, the blooming period is usually several weeks. And there are newer cultivars that rebloom.A native of Asia, original daylily colors were yellow, orange and reddish. Hybridizers have developed all the wonderful creams, pinks, purples, brilliant reds, pastels and blends that are available to the modern gardener. While the outer portion of the daylily is one color, the throat or center area of each flower is a different color, usually a shade of green, yellow, gold or orange.Fortunately there is a daylily that suits just about every spot in the perennial border. Plants range in height from 6 to 36 inches. Blooms range in size from under 3 inches to nearly 5 inches. The scape of a daylily is the leafless stalk that bears the flowers. Scapes may be top branched with a cluster of buds at the top. Well or low branched daylilies have a larger number of buds per scape, sometimes as many as 100.In gardening catalogs we read about diploid and tetraploid daylilies. Diploids have two complete sets of chromosomes while tetraploids have four complete sets. Perhaps the most famous diploid is the 'Stella d'Oro' daylily. According to the AHS, tetraploid flowers tend to be larger, color more intense, scapes sturdier and stronger, and they tend to be more vigorous growers. Diploids, on the other hand, give us more of the pink colors as well as spider and double daylilies.Perhaps you already grow a large number of daylilies and would like to try breeding your own, one you might name after your favorite relative. The process is fairly simple. From one blossom you transfer the pollen, which contains the male sex cells, to the female stigma (the flattened top of the long tube that stands in the middle of the of the anthers). Be ready when the flowers open. You can cover a blossom with a small plastic bag before it opens to prevent an accidental cross. Using a cotton swab, transfer the pollen from one flower to another on a different plant. After pollenizing, cover the blossom with a plastic or paper bag. You can remove the bag the next day but remember to mark which blossom you pollenized. When fully ripe, remove the shiny black seeds from the pod. They may be planted outside in the fall to germinate the next spring and will take two years before flowering. Enjoy your new perfect perennial.
