Unusual Forms of Daylilies

In 1998 the first Unusual Forms were registered with AHS; before this time Unusual Forms were registered as Large Daylilies, Spiders, or Spider Variants (Spider Variant was also dropped in 2003). I do remember back when this new class of daylilies was being discussed, one of the names suggested for the new form was Exotic Form, which personally I liked. Some crispates are very exotic with their twisting and curling.

The Unusual Form class is made up of 3 types of flowers, based on their shapes and nothing else. They can be any size as long as they meet specification of one of the three forms, Crispate, Cascade and Spatulate. These forms are all are explained very well on the AHS site, http://www.daylilies.org/ahs_d... much better than I could ever explain the forms and sub-forms.

CRISPATE is the most extreme in form, crispation includes twisting, hooking, pinching, quilling, curling and reflexing (curling back). A Crispate can do one or two of these things, or in some cases do them all. I think there are more Crispates registered than the other two forms combined.

LILLIAN'S VAPOR TRAIL 2012 (Crispate) LILLIAN'S WHITE LIES 2012 (Crispate-Cascade)


The Cascade form is the least extreme of the three, it looks like a large Spider and does nothing that the Crispates do, just kind of lays there and looks pretty.

LILLIAN KATHLEEN 2000 (Cascade) LILLIAN'S FUNKY SPUNKY 2003 (Cascade)


Spatulate forms look just like their name, or the shape of a spoon. This is one you may not see as often as the others, I don’t think I have seen more than a couple over the years and I grow none of them. These are from the AHS site.

Both are Spatulate


This is one I grow that has all three forms, never has two blooms the same; the name says it all.

BONIBRAE THE FREAK Matthie 2011 (Crispate-Cascade-Spatulate)


PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

The first daylily I registered was an UNUSUAL FORM in 1999 and released in 2000. Even before that first release they were my favorite form of daylily and continue to be till this day. I am speaking of Diploid daylilies, I started with these and never really got excited about the Tetraploid UFs even though I do grow a few every year. The UNUSUAL FORM will do so much more than just sit there on the scape and look pretty, and normally they will not look exactly the same two days in a row. I grow a lot of UNUSUAL FORMS and keep more of these year after year than any other form of daylily.