Daylily Madness #2

Images: Daylily Anatomy picture and Hemerocallis Daylily "Ed Murray"

This may be more than you ever wanted to know about the parts of a daylily. Before you zone out, it will help you to know a little about the names of parts should you decide to catch the Daylily Madness disease. It will even help the person who orders from pictures and printed descriptions. 

Here is a description of Ed Murray Daylily from an Oakes Daylily on-line catalog http://www.oakesdaylilies.com/

ED MURRAY: * 4" bloom, 30" tall, Mid Season, Dormant One of the best darks - winner of the Stout Medal and the Lenington All American Award - count on it for gorgeous blooms and dependable performance. Hybridized by Grovatt, Registered 1971. Blooms June and July. Full sun, Zone 3-9.

Compare this description to the picture I have posted of my Ed Murray. Here's what catalogs don't usually have space to tell you:

1. It is a mahogany dark red. The Petals are darker than the Sepals.
2. The Stout Medal is given by the American Hemerocallis Society each year to the Best of the Breed and is the A.H.S.'s highest award. The Lenington All American Award is for the Best Performer Over a Wide Geographic Area. Both these awards tell you a lot about the lily.
3. Dependable expands to mean it spreads better than most and easily divides.
4. Zone 3-9 means it does not have winter kill in the coldest our area has to offer.
5. Registered 1971 means it's so popular with growers that it is still featured in catalogs after 38 yrs.
6. 4 inch bloom, in this case, means from tip to tip of the Petals. It also means on average.
7. 30 inch scapes is the average height of the flower stem. The height of the leaves are not measured.
8. Gorgeous blooms is in the eye of the beholder. I do agree Ed Murray is a beautiful daylily.
9. Blooms June-July does not mean June 1st to July 30. My Ed Murray just started blooming June 29 but will probably bloom a good two months.

Now, go out and have a great Day - Lily!