Bicolor The petals and sepals are different colors.

Bitone The petals and sepals differ in shade or intensity of the same basic color.

Blend The flower is a blend of two or more colors.

Dotted Colors are clumped into larger pools. Other terms used to describe uneven coloration include: Flecked, Flaked, Speckled, and Stippled.

Dusted Color appears to be finely misted onto the surface. Diamond Dusted The flower has a sparkling or glistening appearance as if sprinkled with gold, silver or tiny diamonds.

Edged or Picoteed The edges of the flower segments are either lighter or darker than the segment color.

Eyed, Eyezoned or Banded The flower has an area of different or darker color (called a zone) between the throat and the tips of the flower. It is an Eye if the zone occurs on both the petals and the sepals. It is a Band if the zone occurs only on the petals. It is a Halo if the zone is faint or only lightly visible. It is a Watermark if the zone is a lighter shade that the rest of the flower.

Midrib The center vein of each flower segment. May be different in color from the rest of the segment.

Polychrome The flower segments have an intermingling of three or more colors.

Self The flower is the same color throughout. The stamens and throat may be different.

Flower Form

Circular The flower appears round. Segments often overlap, giving a full appearance.

Double This form has more than six segments. The extra segments may appear as a tuft in the middle of the flower. They may appear as two blooms in one or a hose-in-hose effect (like some azaleas).

Flaring The segments arch out from the throat. The flaring side view most often accompanies the triangular front view.
Flat Flowers are flat except the throat, which is concave.

Recurved The flower flares, but the ends roll or tuck under.

Ruffled There are ruffles along the flower edges.

Spider Flowers with very narrow petals and a spider-like form. Spiders are sometimes referred to as an Informal form.

Star The flower shape looks like a three-pointed or six-pointed star.

Triangular When viewed from the front of the bloom, the flower segments form a triangle.

Trumpet Segments rise from the throat in an upward pattern rather than the usual outward pattern. The flower form resembles a true lily.

Flower Size

MiniatureFlowers less than 3 inches in diameter.

Small Flowers from 3 inches up to 4 inches in diameter.

Large Flowers 4 inches and over in diameter.

Height

Low The scapes are from 6 to 24 inches high.

Medium The scapes are from 24 to 36 inches high.

Tall The scapes are more than 36 inches high.

Bloom Time

Nocturnal daylilies open late in the afternoon, and remain open all night. Most daylilies are Diurnal, only open during the day.

Extended daylily blooms remain open at least 16 hours. Both diurnals and nocturnals may be extended bloomers.

Extra Early (EE) Varies from March to June depending on your Zone.

Early (E) Three to five weeks prior to the mass of bloom at midseason.

Early Midseason (EM) One to three weeks before the height of bloom of most cultivars.

Midseason (M) This ranges from May to July depending on your Zone.

Late Midseason (LM) One to three weeks after the height or peak of bloom in your garden.

Late (L) Four to six weeks after the peak of the season.

Very Late (VL) These daylilies are the last to bloom in late summer or early fall.

Rebloomer (Re) These daylilies bloom more than once during a single season.

Everblooming daylilies bloom repeatedly through the summer and may have very little or no time between flushes of bloom. This is a relatively new term for daylilies and the goal of many hybridizers. Stella D'Oro is the top everbloomer, followed by Happy Returns and Rosy Returns .

Evergreen These daylilies retain their leaves throughout the year. In mild climates, the leaves of evergreens remain green all winter.

Semi-Evergreen This is an intermediate classification.

In general, evergreen types will do better in hot climates with very mild winters and dormant types prefer colder areas.

Chromosomes

Tetraploid daylilies have twice the normal number of chromosomes. They have larger flowers than most daylilies. Colors are often more intense. Scapes tend to be sturdier and stronger.

Diploid daylilies are considered by some to be more graceful in form. Spider and double daylilies are more commonly diploid. Diploid flowers though usually smaller are also more numerous per plant. There are more diploid daylilies than tetraploids.