I've been wondering why several sellers have Mayor Of Munchkinland listed, but no one is actually selling it. I've been considering taking it off of my Want List, because there has been virtually no chance of getting it.

Then, about a week and a half ago, I went to a daylily farm that I absolutely love, where I get huge, healthy plants that do very well for me (this is relevent to my question, honestly!), and I asked why MOM had been listed as "Display" for so many years. I was led to a single, spindly, sick-looking fan.

As I said, this is a place that grows big, beautiful daylilies, which makes me wonder if Mayor Of Munchkinland just isn't a healthy plant, or doesn't multiply well. Is it something that I should take off of my Want List?

I assure you that MAYOR OF MUNCHKINLAND is a healthy, vigorous plant as I saw it being grown at clump strength at the National in Atlanta, Georgia. It is SOOOOOOO distinctive with bright, clean colors and will be in demand for many years.... the demand will far exceed the supply because a LOT of people saw and wanted to buy it that day after they saw it. It is a highly desirable plant for hybridizing as well. People who have it in their garden are trying to supply as much as they can while the price for it is enormous. Keep this one your list....it is a wonderful plant. Any plant that is hacked up frequently will respond by struggling to reestablish. And that is what you saw. Patience will be required to find a garden where it hasn't been divided a lot.

Mark and Patti Franklin had a DF for sale on the LA this week. I've sold pieces of it four times in the past two years but am not dividing it again for awhile, although MANY have tried to convince me otherwise! I've seen wonderful clumps of it in many gardens. It is everything Judy said and more.

Best thread title ever! I'm afraid he passed away in 1968

It certainly is in high demand. If I had it, I certainly would not be dividing it until it was a large clump.

I had 'Nell Dean' and divided it for a club sale, keeping only two fans for myself. It never regained strength and eventually died and now I need to buy it again. Granted, the price for ND will be nowhere near MOM, so even more reason for those who do have MOM to guard it closely.

I saw MOM in a garden recently and it certainly is a cute little thing! I wouldn't give up on it just yet if it were one I really wanted.

@mystlw
I am sure that the cultivar in question grows well in many locations but it is always a good idea to check how well a cultivar that was hybridized in a different zone grows in other gardens near you with similar growing conditions as you have.

Perhaps you might try to get more details and information about how 'Mayor of Munchkinland' grows for the daylily farm you visited.

Perhaps some cultivars might not do well after division in zone 6.
Some cultivars are regional performers growing better in some zones than others or growing better in some conditions than others.
You might check the locations of the daylily growers that have listed 'Mayor of Munchkinland' in the past.
Some cultivars grow well in a region until there is unusual and less common weather and then they fail to recover well.
Some cultivars suffer from spring sickness severely enough and frequently enough that they are set back repeatedly.

This is still open on the LA right now. Bidding was at $257 for a DF. People have paid way more than that, actually. Seller is MP flowers.

Wow... That's amazing. I get nervous spending more than $40 on a daylily! Not brave enough in my no-killing-daylily skills to chance a triple digit priced plant.

Diana, I think $40 is the most I have spent on a daylily. I think my dh would have me committed if I spent triple-digits on a daylily, lo! That probably means that I will never have Mayor of Munchkinland... or at least not for another 10 years or so.

But you can see why people were tempted, right?

Julie, it is pretty. But I guess I don't love it $257 worth! there are a few higher priced daylilies I would buy if I could afford them. Top of that list right now is Flower Wolf at $45 for a single fan.

floota said:This is still open on the LA right now. Bidding was at $257 for a DF. People have paid way more than that, actually. Seller is MP flowers.

That's ten $25 daylilies. You don't have ten $25 daylilies you would like to have? (Not 'you' floota.)

Charley

Charley, yeah I know I do : )
Thing is if I kill one $25 daylily, I still have nine others...
If I kill that $250 daylily *gulp*... I'd have some 'splainin to do...

ShakespearesGarden said:Wow... That's amazing. I get nervous spending more than $40 on a daylily! Not brave enough in my no-killing-daylily skills to chance a triple digit priced plant.

Try buying the more expensive ones as single fans. I spent $75 on a single fan of Iridescent Splendor. It was large enough to divide into three fans. It also grows like crazy here, so it was definitely worth it.

floota said:This is still open on the LA right now. Bidding was at $257 for a DF. People have paid way more than that, actually. Seller is MP flowers.

MP used to have it listed at $75 and Sold Out. They recently raised their website price to $100, but it's still "Sold Out". For some reason, I've lost a little respect for them.

floota said:But you can see why people were tempted, right?

Oh, yeah! It is adorable, alright! Especially in the clump. Ony one bloom was open in the garden I saw it in. But even only one bloom shows how special it is.

This seems to be a popular cultivar...too expensive for me. But for those that are interested, there are two listings on the Lily Auction. The first closes today and the second closes tomorrow. The seller is Maryotts...don't think it' the Maryott's of California. The first listing is over $150.00 and the second is at $150.00, but I'm sure both will go higher.

It's entirely over rated imo.

Frillylily said:It's entirely over rated imo.

@Frillylily, I'm not into the small plants. I like the fancy Floyd Cove intros, large plants with edges, eyes, and saturated color. Glad we don't all like the same thing, but so many people seem to love it and are willing to pay, what I consider, an exorbitant price for it. I'm not willing to pay more than $50.00 for a double fan of anything!

I'm tracking the bidding just to see how high it will go.

Right, it's a pretty face, but I mean I have ones in my garden I only paid 5 bucks for and I love them. I just don't see the allure at that price!