Hey all, I am in search of a deep, dark red/black daylily that can take some shade. I want one that is on the shorter side, reblooms or extended blooming, rich in color, ribbed, and velvety in texture!

I'm considering 'Knight Returns', but it is recommended for zones below 6. Any thoughts?
What are some of your favorites?

* I have read that the reds can take some shade more so than other colors. I have more part shade to shady areas in my back yard than sunny areas, and I need an "anchor" daylily to plant throughout the shaded landscape, for continuity, to offset my spider & UF daylilies. Stella is my "anchor" in the sunny areas. * ☺

Love BLACK PLUSH, check it out in the plant database. Lots of pictures, some appear too red. 1955 registration, don't let that scare you away, this is a quality Daylily though a bit tall for you maybe?

Charley

'Dakar' (Stamile, 1998) is a tet but may be too tall for what you are looking for.



'Coal Miner' (Porter-E., 1988), a diploid, is shorter at 24" and may fit what you are looking for.

Hi Dana,

I would recommend 'Night Wings' but its nothing you are looking for, as in re-blooming, short scape etc... that said it is beautiful IMHO. It and 'American Revolution are my two darkest CVs. AR is re-blooming on a 28" scape but I've never grown it in shade. NW is currently growing in the shade and seems to be happy in its location.

Last year shot of AR,


Current season shot of NW


This photo doesn't do NW justice so here is one from last year,

I love dark/black DLs

I have American Revolution and it gets morning sun and afternoon shade and it still blooms quite well. I would recommend it.

Omg! These are all so beautiful!! I just don't know how I'll ever choose!!

Of course, just like a typical hem addict, I want them all!!

Dana, as others have said, Black Plush is a good one. What scape height are you looking for, though? Jungle Beauty is *really* nice and dark in my garden and is about 30-ish inches for the scape height, so it's on the taller side, but it has so many branches and blooms and really strong scapes that I love it. (I normally go for shorter daylilies, too.)

I haven't seen my Dominic plant bloom yet, but I hear that's another great option for dark daylilies.

I did an advanced search in the daylily database using "black" as the color and "rebloom". Of course, there were a lot of "black" eyes and other stuff, but also a lot of nice looking black, velvety ones too. Lots to choose from. Good idea to find out what others have had good luck with.

I only have Saleiri, extended bloom and 26" tall. I really like it. I didn't always like the dark ones, but I do now.

Africa

@Dana, Where did you see that the first one was not recommended below zone 6? I always look at the database when I'm searching new plants, and all I see there is minimum cold hardiness.

Try. 26"

Wow. Pertiful, Glen!

Bob Selman, aka. Blue Ridge Daylilies, and my favorite seller, has 'Knight Returns' up on the Lily Auction, and it's in the item description.... I admire him greatly, so I figure that *Bob Selman* probably knows a thing or two about daylies, of course *way* more than I do, so I would stick my neck out, here, and conclude that his advice is worth a lil somethin'.....

If somebody out there can attest otherwise, of course I'll be *all over* buying his 'Knight Returns'!!!

Well Glen, your suggestion is in the running!

Have several dark Daylilies Black Plush, Lil Black Buds, Street Smarts and Dakar.

Dark Of Night is very nice at 28" tall, sunfast, with good bud count and branching. It's also a very good opener which has been very rust-resistant for me.

Where did you hear that reds can take more shade than other daylilies? As plants, all daylilies prefer full sun—six or more hours per day. The reason that you might have heard that reds and other darker colors "prefer" shade is because their flowers will tend to fade and melt in the sun. Growing daylilies of any color in shady situations will result in plants which are less vigorous and robust, which usually translates to weaker scapes, less branching, fewer flowers and slower multiplication.

Ken, I googled it about a year ago, but I didn't save the page, so I really can't remember the source, but it was a respectable source. Yeah, I'm aware of all that you've pointed out, too, but I have a small city lot, and I love daylilies, so I gotta work with the environment that I have.

I do have plans for an additional perennial garden/living fence that will be located in a more sunny location, but it's not gonna happen for at least another year because it will be my largest garden, as large gardens go in the city
So once that garden is installed, a great deal of my daylilies will be divided and/or relocated to that space.

Thank you for the info just the same, Ken!

I'm looking for something that is no taller than 26 inches. I do have some taller ones, which are mostly spider and UF's, so the shorter ones lend some variety, plus being in the city, with a small lot I prefer that the "anchor " daylilies to be shorter to keep closterphobia at a minimum, and they will showcase the spider and UF's nicely!

Don't know it and don't know where to find it but;

'Black Rain' (Glidden, 1995)

scape height 22 inches
bloom size 4.5 inches
bloom season Midseason,
Rebloom

ploidy Diploid
foliage type Evergreen
bloom habit Diurnal



Charley