Background history:

'Royal Frosting' is a dormant diploid introduced in 1993 by Darrel Apps of Wild Rose, Wisconsin. He has been retired since 2007. http://www.greenhousegrower.co......

Article in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05......

Additional articles:
http://www.hortmag.com/plants/......
http://talking-to-plants.blogs.......

Royal Frosting is an early to mid-season bloomer. It is both pod and pollen fertile with currently 6 registered children: http://garden.org/plants/paren...

This plant can be found in the NGA Plant Database at:
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Royal Frosting') .

Please join in, if you own this plant! We would love to know more! I award an acorn for performance information posted to this thread.





Also, please consider adding a "Local Report" to the NGA Plant Database! Thank you!

Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Royal Frosting')

Royal Frosting is quite white compared with other cream-colored blooms. Its blooms here are about 5", seeming small compared with, say, White Perfection (which is the whitest in my garden). Definitely not 36" here. Indeed, it has always been a bit disappointing in regard to height, but maybe it just tends to get crowded out. More narrow petaled than more recent whites. A bit Plain Jane in regard to form and not so vigorous as I would like, but whiter than many recent ones that were hailed as breakthroughs in white hybridizing.

I purchased Royal Frosting from a local nursery last year, so I have seen it through two bloom seasons and I have been impressed with it both seasons.

It is a beautiful white with a creamy overlay and diamond dusting--such a pretty shimmering in the sun. Last year it was a whiter white than this year and I'm not sure why... It could be due to location (it was moved to a spot that gets more shade this year). It was also a little heavier on the substance last year--likely due to fertilizers the nursery uses--but was still a flower with nice substance this year, too. Despite being moved to a less-sunny, poorer soil area, it still thrived.

One of its best features is it's high bud and branch count, regardless of whether or not it is fertilized. Another favorite feature is its sweet scent. Hybridizers will also appreciate it's easy pod (and pollen) fertility... I got lots of seeds off of this plant both years.

When I think of what a traditional-form, white daylily should be, this is what I think of.

I've had RF for a number of years. As I recall, it did take a while to get going here in my zone. It is very lovely. As with most "whites", some years it's cream/yellow tinted and other years it gets closer to white. I think it may depend upon rainfall and or temps???? In 2015 I did get pods from it, however, I have just one seedling as a result. Most pods did not produce seeds. I believe the cross that I have is Royal Frosting x Political Punch. We'll see if it makes it through a Wisconsin winter
Here is a picture of Royal Frosting and Political Punch. They live next to each other in the garden.

Royal Frosting is pretty close to being white. It is container grown in light shade in Texas. It has a long bloom season, sturdy blooms and a good bud count with rebloom!

Elegant looking


I have it in a very large container with Red Reverence. Together they take your breath away. Most pictures of Royal Frosting contain both daylilies. By itself or paired with another it is a great daylily to have in your garden!



May happiness surround you!

@Petruske

Sue....realized this is an older post...but wanted to comment that at first glance you would think Royal Frosting is a Tet. The thick stalks and substance of the plant...but it is a Diploid. Political Punch is a Tet. Probably the reason for lack of seeds. Royal Frosting is a very fertile pod parent.

When I first had it... I could not keep it in my mind that it was a diploid. There is something about RF that does say Tet and it took me two years of fighting the urge of putting the wrong pollen on it myself.

May your garden be blessed.

Sharon, You are right. I realized that after I added it to a chart. It's now listed as Royal Frosting X unknown. That one seedling I got did not bloom in year one or two. This summer will be the 3rd year. We'll see what happens. If not bloom...it's out of the garden.

I hope it does exceptional this year...just for the fact that it would be soooo interesting to see blooms. If you get a bloom no matter how it looks...please post it here. RF is a diploid and a great pod parent. Next year I should see my first blooms from its seedlings, but I find your one seedling more interesting.

Actually in your case I find it doubly interesting....because as I stated before you would almost swear it is a Tet.

Good Luck and many blessings for a successful gardening year!

I will post a picture. As I recall I don't think it was a very large plant. I'll have to check on it tomorrow.

No scapes at all in my garden yet. Not even on Stella de Oro. It's been a cool spring and lot of cloudy days. They should get popping up soon though. Can't wait!!!

Just went and looked up Political Punch in the database...and if I am reading the family genetics correctly...it has a pollen Grandparent that is Tet. Conversion Trahlyta...
I wonder if that has any bearing on it? It is getting even more interesting.

May you be blessed with many good things!

Hmmmmm...Very interesting. Now I have to keep an eye on that one plant. I haven't gotten to the garden yet. I've been sick with a lousy cold. Got all the way through winter without a cold and now when I WANT to be outside I gotta stay in bed. Just left with a cough, so things are looking up.

Here is a picture of the (3 year old seedling) Royal Frosting X (I "thought" Political Punch). Not very big yet but this IS Wisconsin and it's only mid May. We have a while to wait yet. But it has not sent up a scape at all yet since planted. We'll see what this year brings. At least it multiplied from one to four fans..