DAYLILY LANGUAGE
There are thousands
of named
cultivars of daylilies with a language of their own.
Color Patterns
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
if the 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.
Tipped
The
segment tips, or more frequently just the petal tips, are a different
or
contrasting color from the body of the segment (sometimes for as much
as one
third of the length).
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 refered 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
Miniature
Flowers
less than 3 inches in diameter.
Small
Flowers
from 3 inches up to 4 ½ inches in diameter.
Large
Flowers
4 ½ 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, where individual
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 .
Plant
Types
Dormant The leaves of these daylilies die completely back as
winter approaches.
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.
Click on the
Daylily Chart, AHS Popularity Poll, Daylily Awards , Daylily Notes ,
Daylily Flower and Scape for more information
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