Daylilies in Ohio – Viet Nam Agriculture

Each year, the American Hemerocallis Society polls its members by region to find the top-recommended local favorites for daylily gardeners. Ohio has an active daylily community. Throughout the state, there are local daylily societies and hobbyists who take the development of new cultivars seriously. The 2011 recommended daylilies in AHS Region 2, which includes Ohio, feature an Ohio cultivar at the top of the first five picks.

"Primal Scream" is a tangerine-colored, 7 ½ inch bloom with a green throat that placed first in the AHS regional poll in both 2010 and 2011. It is a mid- to late-season bloomer that captures attention with its unusual form. Primal Scream is a crispate cascade, giving it two of the three defining unusual characteristics for a daylily. Crispate petals and sepals are pinched. A "cascade" describes a curling-over form of petal that resembles a waterfall. "Primal scream" was first registered in 1994, but age hasn’t dimmed its appeal to Ohio growers.

"Webster’s Pink Wonder" is a rare collectible with flowers that measure a phenomenal 13 inches across. It has pink petals with a white mid-rib coming out of a wide yellow-green throat. It is a mid-season bloomer and the oversize, heavy flowers last into the evening. Webster’s Pink Wonder is a UFO crispate, which means that its enormous petals are pinched and it exhibits unusual form, according to the guidelines of the American Hemerocallis Society. This variety is semievergreen; it keeps its foliage past the summer growing season.

The "All American Chief" is a big-bloom, bright red cultivar that grows 36 inches tall. The flowers are 9 inches across and the red petals end in a yellow-green throat. This daylily won the American Hemerocallis Society Stout Silver Medal Award in 2008 and the Extra Large Diameter Award in 2006. "All American Chief" is an early to midseason rebloomer, so it produces a lot of flowers throughout the season.

"Ruby Spider" is a spectacular large bloom that spans 9 inches and opens fully to show off its flamboyant colors. The petals don’t curl back sharply, so most of the bloom is visible at first glance. The predominant color is a rich ruby red with a golden yellow throat and yellow traces midpetal. The open form of the cultivar is called spatulate and is unusual enough to have won the 2002 Lambert Webster Award. "Ruby Spider" blooms early in the season, produces many healthy flowers on 36-inch scapes and shows up regularly on the recommended lists of daylily hobbyists in Ohio.

"Bela Lugosi" is deep, dark and mysterious purple, almost black, with thick petals, ruffled edges and a green throat. The flowers are 6 inches across, and the plant grows to just under 3 feet. "Bela Lugosi" is a midseason bloomer, and its late blooms may have thin white edging on the dark petals. It is a winner of the 2007 Lenington All-American Award.