Background history:

'Prairie Blue Eyes' is a semi-evergreen diploid introduced in 1970 by Marsh.

It has earned the following AHS awards:
JC: 1970
Honorable Mention: 1973
Award of Merit: 1976

This plant can be found in the NGA Plant Database at:
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Prairie Blue Eyes') .

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Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Prairie Blue Eyes')

An oldie but a good daylily. Quite a fast increaser so, even though there aren't a lot of buds per scape, there are so many scapes that it still makes a nice show. Apparently it isn't one of those that stops blooming when it gets crowded because I haven't divided it in the 9 or 10 years I've had it. Huge clump & really nice in bloom.

I agree that Prairie Blue Eyes is an oldie but goodie. It does increase fast in my zone and blooms for at least a month. Stats are right on and it is fertile both ways. I like its unusual color.
Edited to add: Hardy in zone 5b.

This one that is on my wish list. Definitely one to add based on the two reviews. Thanks.

I have grown this daylily for at least twenty years in my northern garden. I like its lavender blue colour and its height. I have it planted in an area of my garden that does receive some shade and it still blooms reliably year after year.

I have grown Prairie Blue Eyes in both a zone 5/6 and this zone 4 garden for over twenty years and it was/is hardy in both locations. I divided my clump a few years ago and the plants have been left undisturbed since. Interestingly, unlike the other reports my PBE has not flowered in several years (it did flower for several years after being divided). I imagine that is because it is growing under almost wild/natural conditions. It has been growing with no added water (just rain), no fertilizing and occasional weeding.

Many years ago I used it in a test and I can report that although it is both pod and pollen fertile with other cultivars it seems completely self-incompatible (all self-pollinations set pods which were then aborted). If I ever get around to studying self-incompatibility I will be using it in crosses with Stella de Oro which is self-compatible to check on the inheritance of compatibility/incompatibility. Of course, to do that I will need to fertilize it heavily to start it blooming again. It will take probably at least a full year of heavy fertilizing before it flowers again so a two year wait. I imagine the seedlings from that cross will have horribly coloured flowers.

I can't say a lot about 'Prairie Blue Eyes' as it was planted in zone 7A less than a month ago. It is doing fine, though, and looking stronger every day!

I had Prairie Blue Eyes in my garden for many years it increased well, was nice in a clump, bloomed every year even without dividing, the blooms were attractive. Finally decided that a newer cultivar would take it's place as I like change in the garden.

Prairie Blue Eyes was the first daylily that I grew that was not a ditch lily, long before I started collecting. I have grown it for at least 20 years. It has moved to several spots around the gardens, been divided several times and continues to give me a good bloom season. It will be divided and moved again next spring. I will always keep it as I love the color and the plant habit. Blooms are held above the foliage.

Prairie Blue Eyes has been a winner in my gulf coast Texas garden for years. Rust tolerant, heat tolerant and blooms steadily.

I've had PBE almost since my love of daylilies started (ten years or more). It does increase well. I love the blue hues of this lavender bloom. I need to split mine up because this year it did not get a lot of scapes. Great addition for new daylily addicts. As for those of you who have lots of daylilies, consider this one as a color that will accent many other daylilies.

I have had Prairie Blue Eyes for over 4 years. It started out average. Not the worst, but nothing spectacular. The last two years it has gotten smaller and smaller. It has been behaving like a dormant that does not tolerate heat. Last winter was warm and this spring it barely had 4 blooms. I have had some daylilies take 5 years to come around to the hot side, but I consider that too ridiculously long.. I am giving it one more year to improve. I would not repurchase. Many blessings for everyone to have gardening success!

Mine did not bloom this year. Last summer was so hot and dry that I had to dig up and pot many of the daylilies. When they were replanted a few of them didn't do well. I really hope next spring they will surprise me.

I acquired 8 fans of Prairie Blue Eyes in April 2016. These fans were potted up together and will be transplanted this Fall into a raised bed. It did not bloom for me this year (2016). It is now 5 fans and a new smaller emerging fan. So down to 6 fans now.

The leaves are thin and it makes a small, compact clump in a pot. I hope to see some blooms next year (2017).

I crossed PBE with Barbara Mitchell. Also got seeds from @Hemlady crossing PBE with Milky Way Eyes.

I have had Prairie Blue Eyes in many spots in my garden. I would find myself buying more of it every couple of years so I could start a new clump somewhere else. It is currently in four locations...I just love the color! Works with everything. And a healthy plant that multiplies at a reasonable rate and still blooms without division. I do love it, although I might recombine my plants to get a good clump and leave room for something new.




Different locations, different light, different color

Prairie Blue Eyes is a bit late to start here in my Zone 7b garden, but the plant isn't yet 2 years old. It's beautiful, in a quiet way, but I like it.

June 15 - later blooms had more of a blueish tone.

June 26 - this bloom shows most clearly the "blue eye" of the name, comparatively speaking.

June 29 - beside the unregistered "Maya Purple" bought at Lowes around 2000.

I didn't see this one in 2022. Some of the plants I thought were Prairie Blue Eyes weren't. Too much eye…I'm almost positive G Wild sent me random Daylilies in its place.

I received five healthy fans of Prairie Blue Eyes from Nancy @alilyfan in September of 2021. I wanted it for its reputation as a hardy, rust-resistant plant. That reputation is fully deserved. I notice from reading through the reviews above that it seems to do well in every growing zone and thrives year after year for most gardeners. That (and its distinctive color) is probably why this 1970 cultivar is as popular as ever.

I planted Prairie Blue Eyes in my mailbox bed. The plants in that bed are subjected to direct Georgia sun and exhaust fumes all summer. I don't always notice when the plants need water or are overrun with weeds as the bed is actually across the street from my house, so the plants there don't get as much attention as the ones in the other beds. I have lost a few daylilies out there. Prairie Blue Eyes is very tough and hardy, though. It has thrived under the adverse conditions. I just went out and looked at the plant, and the original five fans have increased two years later to sixteen.

Prairie Blue Eyes is a winner, and I will always grow it.