Daylillies with Distinctive Eyes

Because of their simple flower form, daylilies are so easy to breed which explains why there are currently 66,000 varieties registered with the American Daylily Society.  How do you wade through so many varieties to come up with extra special plants? I believe you need to focus on a specific color or flower form. And for me that’s daylilies with distinctive eyes. What I mean by eyes is multi-colors in the throat of the flower that give each blossom more depth and impact.

Jack and Jo Roderson are owners of American Daylillies & Perennials in Grain Valley, MO.  T he company was started 33 years ago and currenty has 40 acres in cultivation. Jack  has been hybridizing daylilies for over 30 years. His biggest success to date has been ‘Black Eyed Stella’. Jo says He worked for ten years to get an eyed variety that bloomed like ‘Stella de Oro’. Eyed varieties have great appeal, and so do repeat bloomers like this selection. During its first year on the market, the company sold over 750,000 fans of ‘Black Eyed Stella! So this month I’m asking the Rodersons, what are their favorite daylily varieties with a distinctive eye?

The Roderson’s believe Eye Yi Yi is a “must have” daylily. The bright orange blooms with a cherry eye are 5 ½” and appear atop 30” scapes (the height of the flower stalk). The plant is semi-evergreen in the area. It’s an early bloomer coming in around mid June in Kansas City and repeating blooms later in the season.Jo says “This color combination is probably the most stunning among eyed daylilies and is always a favorite of gardeners. Jack and I will never forget the first time we saw it about ten years ago. We were touring a garden in Oregon with others of the industry, and someone in our group spotted Eye Yi-Yi. We were all struck by its strong eye appeal and beauty and we fell in love with it on the spot.”

Stella’s Pink Valentine’s red eye surrounds a chartreuse throat and contrasts the clear pink petals. The small 3 ¾” blooms appear in late June atop 16-21” scapes. Then it repeat blooms again following a rest period. It forms a full clump quickly for creating a great color display quickly. It was selected by the breeder not only for its beauty, but because it is such a strong grower, rapid increaser, and good performer across all USDA zones 4-10.

Canadian Border Patrol is a bold eyed beauty representing the strong color contrast of “near black” and “near white.” The 6” pastel bloom color ranges from cream-buff to cream-peach, depending upon the soil and location and strongly contrasts the large, dark purple eye. You will note that the bloom has an inconsistent tendency to have a very fine line of purple edging on the exterior of the petals. This is a nice, but subtle added touch when it is present.  It blooms in late June in Kansas City on 25-28” scapes above semi-evergreen foliage and also repeat blooms.

‘Radiant Greeting’ is one of  Jo’s favorites. They have grown it for several years, but it still ranks at the top of their list. The large blooms are rich gold contrasted by the wide, bold “near black eye. The wide petals lay open and flat, allowing the full display of the radiant eye. It blooms in mid season at 30” in height and also repeat blooms.

Jo says ‘Radiant Greeting is striking in a mass planting and has strong “carrying power”, which is our term for strong visibility from a distance .Another part of the appeal of this variety is its absolutely dependable growth, superior foliage beauty, and overall good balance and performance. It is perfectly named, for it is indeed a “radiant greeting” in your garden. “

‘Pandora’s Box’ is a smaller variety with a 4” cream-white bloom and a dark purple eye zone. The fragrant flowers appear atop 18 to 20” scapes above lush dark green arching foliage.

Jo says “This is an Award Winner and that title is justified because this little eyed beauty grows and performs well in zones 4-10. The longer we grow this variety, the more we appreciate it. It is a consistently dependable, strong grower and the blooms are perched perfectly balanced above the foliage for an ideal garden presentation”