The 2003 All American Daylily Winners

“FRANLY SCARLET”

'Frankly Scarlet,' a stunning bloom, represents a breakthrough in red daylily breeding. While most red daylily blooms lose their luster as the sun beats down on them, 'Frankly Scarlet' shines in the heat. Starting out somewhat muted in the morning, these velvety, scarlet, four-inch blooms actually build color intensity throughout the afternoon and are still vibrant past 6:00 in the evening.

Nothing sets off bright red like dark green, which makes 'Frankly Scarlet's' dark green, dense, 14- to 25-inch tall foliage such an excellent landscape statement. Even in the heat of the summer, the foliage retains its lush dark green color. 'Frankly Scarlet' is also an eager rebloomer providing encore performances throughout the growing season. Those who garden in zones 9-10 will enjoy seeing 'Frankly Scarlet's' brilliant blooms well past Thanksgiving.

 

“PLUM PERFECT”

'Plum Perfect' the other 2003 winner, also in the landscape category, shows off pure plum blooms borne on well-branched scapes. Its 3 1/2-inch flower features an indigo purple eyezone that is set off by a glowing gold throat, purple veining, white mid-ribs and lightly ruffled edges.

Clear, vibrant color coupled with a striking symmetry of foliage sets this beauty apart. Frequent reblooming is another reward for growing this rapid multiplier. 'Plum Perfect' thrives and blooms in full sun and light shade

-- a somewhat unusual characteristic for daylilies. This undemanding cultivar offers purity of color, vigorous growth, multiple bloom periods and wide adaptability ensuring it a spot in gardens from Macon, Georgia to Muskegon, Michigan.

The soaring popularity of daylilies, combined with the bewildering profusion of varieties and growing characteristics, demanded the development of a standard for daylily excellence. The All-American Daylily Selection Council, organized to address this demand, now coordinates a testing program which evaluates daylilies on over 50 performance characteristics across a nationwide network of test sites. This rigorous testing has produced comprehensive and surprising results. Who would have thought, for example, that a daylily bred in Texas would have been a top bloomer in Wisconsin, or that one from Missouri would perform so well in the heat of Southern California?

There are more than 48,000 daylilies registered, bred in at least 25 states, by hundreds of individual hybridizers. Using its elaborate testing program, the AADSC sorts through the thousands of registered daylilies and awards to only the top performers across five USDA hardiness zones the coveted title of "All American."

Each year's scores are measured against all previous test data in order to ensure that the All-Americans are truly the best performers in their color category. Daylilies are tested for at least two years, with All-American finalists being grown for another three to five years in open field conditions before being announced.

2003 marks another year of new All-American daylily winners offering gardeners throughout the country a steady stream of these tried and tested perennial beauties. Gardeners nationwide can expect to see these proven daylilies at their garden center and grow them successfully in virtually any garden in America. Backed by scientifically proven superior performance nationwide, All-American Daylilies are becoming America's preferred perennial.

For more information, please e-mail The Gardening Guru at gardeningguru@juno.com