beckygardener said:That's an interesting cultivar "Wigged Out". I wonder what causes that?

It is probably a new mutation, although that would be quite difficult to test using simple methods.

It's not a virus or something causing that, is it?

beckygardener said:It's not a virus or something causing that, is it?

No, I strongly doubt that it is a virus or another sort of infection. I suspect that it is a new genetic mutation. It would be relatively easy to test that if 'Wigged Out' could be made to produce a few pod fertile flowers or some fertile pollen.

It is probably a mutation that more or less turns a flower into a fan. That is probably not genetically difficult in daylilies as it already happens when a proliferation is produced on a scape. In the case of the proliferation it is presumably an environmental factor that turned what would have been a branch or a flower into a fan.

Something similar may happen with garlic where the flowers more or less are turned into 'bulbs'.

Maurice - Most interesting ....

You guys never cease to amaze me. I just purchased ¨Wigged Out¨ from Blueridge, and this was before I read the rest of this thread! I can't wait to get it because all I need is on fertile bloom to pop up, and then we're off to the races I'll definitely keep y'all posted ...

Muata said:You guys never cease to amaze me. I just purchased ¨Wigged Out¨ from Blueridge, and this was before I read the rest of this thread! I can't wait to get it because all I need is on fertile bloom to pop up, and then we're off to the races I'll definitely keep y'all posted ...

Cool! I think it's a beautiful plant with a lot of landscape potential and what you have in mind as well. I need to choose a vendor and make an order, they all say it's quick to multiply which suits my desire perfectly.

I have a beautiful vision and it's all the motivation I need!

I have had 'Wigged Out' for two years now. So far no flowers have appeared. It has produced scapes with the 'wigs'. Apparently flowers do appear rarely as when the cultivar was introduced their colour was described along with their rarity.

Updated to the end of the flowering period in 2017 (to four years) - I still have not seen any flowers.

I have noticed different colors showing up in the foliage of my unbloomed seedlings. The image below shows 3 examples of a cross of Blessing of freedom X ? The one on the left shows a faint pink color. I believe this was redder earlier. The middle, no color at all and the right a strong red. Is this usually a determinant of bloom color?

No, I don't think it has anything to do with the blooms color. I do remember reading about the pink tint on daylily foliage, but for the life of me I can't remember the name for it. I don't recall it being anything good or bad, just something that happens to some varieties. Maybe someone will reply that know what that actually is called.

The pink is anthocyanin pigment, and one of the original daylilies that has it is the species Hemeocallis citrina, which has a light yellow flower. So pink in the leaves doesn't necessarily translate to pink flowers.

Ok, great to know. Thanks for the informative answers.

Ok, great to know. Thanks for the informative answers.

Ok, great to know. Thanks for the informative answers.

@joelsted, ,
Joel are you trying to post a new post, I see the same post three days in a row.

I was asked to copy a post I made On the Porch Swing to this one... so, here is the info in a more appropriate thread...

There's a fascinating article in the newest (AHS) Daylily Journal (Vol 78, No 1, Spring 2023) re: variegated daylilies. If you can get your hands on the article, it's brilliant! Author is Chris von Kohn and, while I am paraphrasing some of his comments (no direct quotes here) but all credit goes back to him! (Any errors are mine.)

While I was aware of some of the variegated daylilies being 'out there' somewhere, there are more than I had thought and I have only one in my gardens. As mentioned above, 'Malja' is perpetually 'sold out' everywhere (been hunting that one for about 5 years).

The article contains some interesting suggestions … for one thing, it is believed that the variegation is passed only along maternal genetics, which means pollen parent is likely not relevant but pod parent must have it.

Interestingly, Hemerocallis fulva 'Kwanso Variegata' … (which I just obtained this past year) is the only known 'species' variegated daylily. And 'Kwanso Variegata' (being triploid) is, for all basic purposes, essentially sterile. The rest are hybrids... or, more correctly, sports.

Some of those listed (with varying degrees of variegation) included in the article: 1) Abbey Dore Court (Smith 1995) was listed as being unstable, as the variegation apparently may disappear... 2) Identity Crisis (White 2011) is one of the few with variegation given in percentage of appearance, at 80% ... whereas, 3) Paul John (Howard 2018) was listed as variegation only 30% of the time.

4) Josephine Elizabeth (Dittman 2004), 5) Malja (trademark name is Golden Zebra, Malan 2007), 6) Saginaw Sweetheart (Creller 2005), 7) Spectacular Union (Tomlinson 2003) did not list percentage of variegation...

8) Should Have Zagged (Krodel 2014) was noted as the variegation being only 'intermittent'.

9) Striped Fantastic (S. Brigham 2006) was registered years ago but only recently released commercially, according to the article, and was noted as a mutation of 'Kate Carpenter' - 10) White Stripe (Mullison-Hite 1984) is one of the earliest noted.

Other variegated daylilies now beginning to appear in gardens or commercially available were noted as 'sports' ...

11) Double-Edged Sword (Grossman 2013)
12) Rocky Horror (Reed 1994)
13) Pardon Me (Apps 1982)
14) Bass Gibson (Rice 2006)

There are some unregistered seedlings now showing up, too, with variegation ... really, find a copy of the article, I am barely touching on a few points here. Some of these sports are being noted as 'stable' (holding and maintaining the variegation) - 15) Variegated Vera (a sport of Vera Bigelow) and another referred to as Lyon's Pride ... which, when used in hybridizing, only produced variegated off-spring when the pod parent showed variegation as well (noted in the previous comments of this thread).

Another variegated sport apparently only showed variegation on 'new' fans but the variegation disappears as the plant ages...

So, just a very brief synopsis of a fascinating article for all of us who have a soft spot for the variegated foliage daylilies. And with the research being conducted... and the number of sports showing up... I think variegation in daylilies is a trend we will be seeing more of in our daylily gardens... and in the very near future.

From what I recall reading, and I'd certainly try it myself if I came across it, GOLDEN ZEBRA ('Malja') is not particularly cold hardy.

I have 'Abbey Dore Court' and it has been perfectly stable over many years and not reverted at all. Far more so than 'Variegated Kwanso'. The flowers are a slightly paler colour than Kwanso. Even though Kwanso has no female parts, it does produce pollen albeit triploid.

Edited to add, 'Abbey Dore Court' shows as diploid in the AHS database but I remember someone telling me they suspect it is actually triploid. It certainly is very similar to 'Kwanso' but it doesn't run.

Hello together
This is my first post in this forum, otherwise I'm just a silent reader because my English isn't so good. Don't know if it fits here, I have a variegated seedling, this summer it's blooming for the 2nd time (hopefully) last late summer it lost the stripes, was only normal green. All fans are yellow green striped now, hope it stays that way. It grows well and vigorously and I also like its flowers.

Geil. Wunderbar.

That is a very nice bloom on a variegated plant!!! So different from the bloom colors normally seen. Hopefully it will stay variegated for you.

OK, something suspicious to me as I am interested in variegated daylilies.

One of my seedlings popped out a variegated fan (4th fan, prior 3 are green). Last year this seedling had 2 fans, both green.

I do not own hundreds of daylilies like many, and if it is that rare an event I figure I will never see this occur naturally. In fact, I bought last year a few variegated ones none of which have had a chance to make seeds yet (so I can rule out a dropped seed, nearest variegated daylily is about 20ft away anyhow). Plus the new fan comes dead center from my forming clump.

I am just in shock that something that truly interests me has happened without my intending it to. The gardening gods have smiled upon me? The suspicious part of me says that perhaps the daylily is sick and I am deluding myself so I will post pics below.

Does it look real? Am I dreaming?




Just as an FYI, here is the bloom from last year. It is red and has stipples and stripes with a blazing green throat.