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The All-American Award-Winning Daylily: Lovely And Low Maintenance

Posted: 7/6/2011

Not your average daylily, the Lady Elizabeth features sparkling diamond-dusted blooms and defies the “weak novelty” stereotype of most near whites, delivering dependable performance and a hearty display of blooms.

(NAPSI)—Several gardening trends are expected to flourish this summer.

Experts predict that small- space gardening, container vertical gardening and gardens with low-maintenance flowers will thrive. One low-maintenance but All-American award-winning star suited to any size garden is the lovely daylily.

There are so many to choose from. More than 60,000 daylilies are registered and bred in at least 25 states by hundreds of individual hybridizers. Many of the best daylilies compete for the title of All-American Daylily awarded by the All-American Daylily Selection Council (AADSC).

AADSC began its test program in 1985 and awarded its first All-American title in 1994 to Black Eyed Stella, known for its landscape performance as a nearly continuous bloomer.

The title is not just an award granted to the prettiest cultivar, but rather given only to those daylily varieties that have demonstrated superior performance in dozens of criteria across at least five USDA hardiness zones.

Daylilies are tested for at least two years with finalists grown for another three to five years in open field conditions before being selected as a winner.

There are now 19 award-winning All-American Daylily varieties that have been selected for their scientifically proven, superior performance nationwide. Here are just a few of the winners:

• This year, a new daylily has earned the distinction of being named an All-American Daylily. The recent winner, Lady Elizabeth (Hemerocallis Lady Elizabeth), features sparkling diamond-dusted white blooms.

For decades, near-white to white daylilies have been considered weak novelties best grown by collectors, but this new flower has defied these stereotypes by delivering dependable performance and a hearty display of blooms throughout the growing season.

A winner in exhibition category, rust-resistant Lady Elizabeth blooms 30 to 110 days per year in USDA zones 4 through 10 and adds a stunning highlight to any landscape.

The flower’s sun-resistant 5- to 51?2-inch diameter blooms appear in early to mid-season on 18- to 24-inch scapes and continue blooming for five to six weeks, repeating again late in the season.

Dense, bright green foliage provides a graceful pedestal below the flower display.

• In 2009, Dream Souffle was the first double bloom to win the award. The fluffy double-petaled blooms are a pastel rosy-pink blended with cream and flushed with yellow in the center.

• In 2006, the award winner was Buttered Popcorn, a large buttery-gold bloom on sturdy 28- to 33-inch scapes. The golden beauty boasts nearly continuous blooming.

• In 2004, Lady Lucille was honored for its large showy bloom that starts off just as most other daylilies are winding down, with clusters of flashy 5- to 6-inch blooms that go from summer to fall.

• In 2002, Bitsy, one of the longest-blooming varieties, won for its petite personality and powerful performance.

• In 1998, Lullaby Baby and Starstruck were honored for their exquisite beauty and balance in the exhibition category.

For more information, visit www.AllAmericanDaylilies.com or find them on Facebook at All-American Daylilies.

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