After weeks of scouring photos and searching websites for a ML purple that I liked, I found Michael Bennett. I love everything about it except for the low bud count!
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I also came across Jamie Dockery, which seems to have similar coloring but a higher bud count.
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I prefer the bloom of MB to the more recurved form of JD. I'm also not sure if JD is more of a reddish purple than MB. I would prefer more of a bluish purple to a reddish one.
Does anyone grow both, or familiar with what they both look like in real life? Can you give me your opinions about one or both? And finally, would you choose higher bud count over your more preferred bloom? Or vice versa?
Thanks for helping me decide!
-Yvonne

I don't grow either plant. I would go with the one I like over bud count. Bud count expectations can be very disappointing on some plants if they are not in their ideal setting. I should know. I have several that have disappointed for years. My humble opinion of course.

I agree with Mike. I would buy the one that I like.

Yvonne - I don't grow either. But I have online friends who grow them and love them. Where are you located? Purples grown in northern states with lower night temps tend to look more blue purple. Those very same purples grown in my TN climate look reddish purple. Also, photos of purples can be deceiving since most cameras add blue tones to photos. A bud count of 12 would put me off too. I won't buy anything that doesn't have at least a registered bud count of 15. Those bud counts are an average, so that means some scapes of Michael Bennett may have a few more than 12 an others less than 12.

shive1 said:Yvonne - I don't grow either. But I have online friends who grow them and love them. Where are you located? Purples grown in northern states with lower night temps tend to look more blue purple. Those very same purples grown in my TN climate look reddish purple. Also, photos of purples can be deceiving since most cameras add blue tones to photos. A bud count of 12 would put me off too. I won't buy anything that doesn't have at least a registered bud count of 15. Those bud counts are an average, so that means some scapes of Michael Bennett may have a few more than 12 an others less than 12.

I am located on Long Island, NY, zone 7. This may be a mute point, as the grower where I found both (https://petalpusher.plantfans.... ) just emailed me to say they had sold out of Michael Bennett. I did see it listed on two other sites, but I have to check and see if it is actually available.

I agree with everything mentioned above by others. I too would buy the one that I liked the looks of over one with a better bud count. The bud count is an average in the hybridizers garden, so you may or may not get a similar budcount depending on your zone and other various factors (soil, sun, rainfall/watering, fertilizer, etc). I know Rice (Jamie Dockery) is in KY, I don't know where Brooker (Michael Bennett) hybridizes.

I love purple and I love watermarks I have both MB and JD. I wish they were blooming now, so that I could look at the flowers side by side and tell you my thoughts on color. They both are purple in my garden, especially in the morning. Later in the day in full sun, I think they both take on some reddish tones, from memory I would say that JD does a little more than MB. I will say that MB is shorter and sometimes the flowers can be in the foliage a little bit, at least in my garden. I think the flowers of MB are a little bigger than JD's. I had two rebloom scapes on MB this year; I don't recall if it has rebloomed in the past here. I know JD has rebloomed here in the past. The bud count on both was not great this year, but MB was better. Our bad spring weather and late freezes here impacted bud count and branching on many plants - the majority of them actually. My JD needs to be divided, so I'm sure it's not performing at it's best.

A daylily that is a similar form to JD that I would recommend and that is one of my top favorites is Claudine's Charm. It definitely has better bud count and branching here than JD or MB. I have not heard anyone say anything bad about it, I think everyone who has it loves it. Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Claudine's Charm')

The thread "Daylily of the Day: Claudine's Charm" in Plants of the Day forum

Michael Bennett


Jamie Dockery


Claudine's Charm


Just my two cents

Jamie Dockery was disappointing here, with short scapes (but not in the foliage) and low bud count. I would choose Another Night in this color range.

The thread "Daylily of the Day: Classy Columbus" in Plants of the Day forum

I've seen MB here in our local city garden and it blooms down in the foliage- doesn't get as tall here as it is registered. I've seen it 3 years in a row now that way.

Thank you everyone for your advice and suggestions! I need to get a Daylily in the ground soon, so I am limited to what I can find right now. I may have to forget about a purple for now 🤪
Thanks again!

I got MB from Marmalahlee on the LA this spring if that helps.

In the classifieds here Twixanddud has Michael Bennett, I think for $10

I'm finding this thread well after it was a vibrant discussion, but that's how it goes. I agree with what has been said. What did you decide?

Better late than never? That's congruent with my input: buy now, buy later. Get them all. Get rid of something else or dig a new spot if you don't have space. The purplish blues are so refreshing and gorgeous, so if you are drawn to both you could add them as they become available, and then some. Dayliles have that "NOW!" energy and the quest for what we want feels like it's urgent. Hems can be such divas. Relax. There's time.

I love Michael Bennett even though it blooms in the foliage. It's lovely in the front of the border. A good grower with big blooms. It's usually the bluest thing in our foothills 7a garden and we have many purplish-blues. Starts midseason but goes for a while. I wish it rebloomed but will always grow it.

And I second Laura's recommendation of Claudine's Charm. Gorgeous and tall but not too tall. Stunning on a cool morning. Reblooms reliably for us and grows well. Anchors all those warm shades with her blue-purple, so a very good team player. One of my absolute faves.

We have some new Jamie Dockey that hasn't bloomed yet. Looking forward to seeing it next year.

Michael Bennett:




Claudine's Charm:

I had Michael Bennett for several years, and I liked it except for being so short. After using it in some crosses, I found
a taller seedling with a larger flower that is fully 8", and better bud counts.... Most likely with White Eyes Pink Dragon.

Hembrain said:I'm finding this thread well after it was a vibrant discussion, but that's how it goes. I agree with what has been said. What did you decide?

Better late than never? That's congruent with my input: buy now, buy later. Get them all. Get rid of something else or dig a new spot if you don't have space. The purplish blues are so refreshing and gorgeous, so if you are drawn to both you could add them as they become available, and then some. Dayliles have that "NOW!" energy and the quest for what we want feels like it's urgent. Hems can be such divas. Relax. There's time.

I love Michael Bennett even though it blooms in the foliage. It's lovely in the front of the border. A good grower with big blooms. It's usually the bluest thing in our foothills 7a garden and we have many purplish-blues. Starts midseason but goes for a while. I wish it rebloomed but will always grow it.

And I second Laura's recommendation of Claudine's Charm. Gorgeous and tall but not too tall. Stunning on a cool morning. Reblooms reliably for us and grows well. Anchors all those warm shades with her blue-purple, so a very good team player. One of my absolute faves.

We have some new Jamie Dockey that hasn't bloomed yet. Looking forward to seeing it next year.

Michael Bennett:




Claudine's Charm:

• Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Claudine's Charm')
• Uploaded by Hembrain

Both are beautiful!
I actually decided against the purple for now. I already have one purple (Bela Lugosi), so I decided on a beautiful white (Purify My Heart) which I had none of. Can't wait to see those blooms in the summer!

Wonderful white! You sound happy and excited. You know it when you feel it!

I think of Bela Lugosi as a Black Daylily, a different class of color. I just purchased Michael Bennett from Dorsetts and Daylilies. Looking forward to seeing what it can do! Love the bloom and purples do really well up here in Boston. I'll just make sure to put it in front.

I think of Bela Lugosi as a Black Daylily, a different class of color. I just purchased Michael Bennett from Dorsetts and Daylilies. Looking forward to seeing what it can do! Love the bloom and purples do really well up here in Boston. I'll just make sure to put it in front.

I think of Bela Lugosi as a Black Daylily, a different class of color. I just purchased Michael Bennett from Dorsetts and Daylilies. Looking forward to seeing what it can do! Love the bloom and purples do really well up here in Boston. I'll just make sure to put it in front.

I am seeing three repeats of Zoia's post, anyone seeing that other than me?

Nope, unfortunately I see it too. Weird. I wasn't trying to be extra emphatic...