I have a spot in my landscape for a daylily that meets some specific requirements, and the best match I've found so far is Lilting Lavender.

Looks to be an "oldie but a goodie" Does anyone have this one who can give me a growing report?

Even though the planting area does get shade starting in mid/late afternoon I am particularly interested in fading/how well the color holds up. If it pretty much stays looking like this I'd be thrilled:


It's a dormant but I'd like to confirm it can handle Michigan winters, and any other info appreciated!

I've had it for many years, it has no problems with my USDA Zone 4 winters. I don't winter mulch. Here's a pic taken a few days ago. It is planted in the afternoon shade of a honeylocust tree. The image was taken at 10.30 a.m. though, according to the image properties. I don't recall its fading but I can check on the next sunny day, today it's raining. I'm sure someone else will be able to answer that part of the question

'Lilting Lavender'



Edit: Just to add that foliage habit and plant hardiness are inherited separately, you can have tender dormants and hardy evergreens, I grow several of the latter. Also the registered foliage habit only applies in the garden of origin and can vary when grown elsewhere.

Thanks Sue! I'm aware of the habit/hardiness issues so I'm glad to hear it's growing well for you in zone 4-- I should be OK in 4b/5a. The bloom in your photo looks great! How long of a show does Lilting Lavender put on for you?

Dennis that is the picture I took in my zone 4 Minnesota garden the color does not fade here. I love this beautiful older daylily it will always be in my garden.

Adding this dayliliy has been in my garden for many years, so yes it is very hardy.

Dennis616 said: The bloom in your photo looks great! How long of a show does Lilting Lavender put on for you?

Thanks Dennis. To be honest I've only ever noted FFO and not LFO for any of my daylilies. I'll try and keep track of it this year although, again, I'm sure someone else keeps better records and can answer your question. I'd go out now and check the number of buds left which may give an idea, but I just came in from taking some pics and already fed a whole bunch of mosquitoes! Maybe later....

@daylilydreams Great news, Betty!! I am thrilled to hear your comments!!

@sooby No problem about LFO info. I'd be shocked if it reblooms in zone 4/5, but high bud count could put on a long show so I'm curious...

sooby said:
I'd go out now and check the number of buds left which may give an idea, but I just came in from taking some pics and already fed a whole bunch of mosquitoes!

I can so relate to that! I've got bats, tree swallows and barn swallows around here that have amazing flying skills and are so much fun to watch. But knowing how many mosquitoes and other pesky insects they are devouring makes it even more enjoyable to watch!

I just ventured out again to re-check that I'd got the right tag for a picture, I counted the buds on LL while there and on a quick count (under attack by mosquitoes again so it really was quick) it looked like 20 buds between two scapes. It should have more than two scapes really, it's been in situ for ten years or so but that's all I could see without risking knocking buds off adjacent daylilies. I'm reclaiming this daylily bed from weeds after life got in the way and they were neglected, so what with that and shade it does have an excuse! However under the same conditions 'Orchid Corsage', just two plants away from it, looks like it plans to flower profusely and I have seen that one rebloom here. Do you have it?

Thanks for your investigation, Sue-- I owe you one for braving the mosquito attack!
Oh wow, how did I miss 'Orchid Corsage'? That one would work too, and if it is a better performer I may have to move it to the top of the list. And I see that one of the sellers I buy from has it available! This is great, thanks so much!

I agree with Sue on Orchid Corsage although in my garden OC is much lighter in color and I really like the more intense color of LL so both will stay.

That's a great point, Betty, about the color intensity. I actually was thinking that I saw that too just based on the photos. More intense color, or more blooms-- how quickly choosing between two daylilies can become so difficult!

Dennis- Lilting Lavender is one of my very favorite daylilies... I have had it since 1996, currently in 3 widely separated locations, full sun, morning shade, and mid-afternoon shade. It seems to do equally well in all three places. In one location, right beside my front door, I deliberately planted the "family": Lola Branham, Lilting Lavender, and Northwind Dancer. Northwind Dancer is the Stout winner, but I actually like Lilting Lavender the best of the 3! It has the strongest stems, Lola does tend to lean too much. N.Dancer has been criticized for leaning a bit, but I like it for that very reason... it does look like it is dancing! For me LL is the most prolific bloomer, and for the longest time. Lola started first and is about done, next was LL with many many buds yet to go, and N.Dancer was the last to start and has fewer buds left than LL. I have a photo of LL on the daylily database, that shows its color late in the day... picture was taken at dusk which is the reason for the dark background, and this plant is the one that gets the most shade.
I might add that gardening friends who are not into daylilies, but who have seen LL here, have all added it to their gardens!

Dennis - Problem easily solved .... Get BOTH!!!

Linda-- great info!!! Between your comments and your photo you are really selling me again on LL! Any comment on its vigor/increase?

Becky-- the thought of getting both did occur to me Not counting this spot I've got room for 4 more daylilies (at least until I make more planting areas ). The competition for those final spots is going to be intense!

I don't grow 'Lilting Lavender', and I don't know if it would even grow down here. I just want to comment on this thread, this is the type of thread I love to read. It gives info on specific plants for specific regions, info people can use in trying to make decisions when buying their plants. This is the type of info I would love to read in the database, but I realize how difficult it is to add comments like this to each plant you grow when you have hundreds of them.
I would love to see a half dozen or so threads like this each day, and have a way to import all the comments into the database for everyone's future reference.
I think this is the type of thread a lot of people would come to this site to read, great info...love it!
I just don't know of anything that would be more helpful to new daylily grower or old as far as that when it comes to selecting new plants for your own garden.
Just want to thank contributors to this type of thread.

Well said, Larry. The info I'm getting here is incredibly helpful.

In some cases I might be willing to just try a daylily that I like a photo of and just see what happens, but in this case I really want to make a bit more of a wise and informed decision. What better way to do that then get info like this? Have to believe, like you say, that a lot of people would come to this site for that kind of info from nice and knowledgeable "daylily people".

Your point about linking thread comments to plants is interesting. In the database when you bring up a plant there are links to threads about that plant, but a lot of the time the threads are generic and the comments specific to the plant are deeply buried. Unless the whole thread is about the plant, certainly would be nice to have a links that are more direct to the applicable comments...

Dennis- Regarding vigor for Lilting Lavender, when I first got it, I put it in a bed I called the Roadside Bed, far from the house. Soon after I became really over-involved in some other activities and while all my beds were neglected, the Roadside Bed most of all. Several years later, trying to salvage plants out there, Lilting Lavender was one that had survived! I think I had 2 small fans to move, and with a little watering and some regular weeding, it really took off, and my 3 large clumps today are all from those 2 fans. Plus I have given some away several times. So yes, it is vigorous! And increases without running rampant...

It's a survivor, I love it! And vigorous without running rampant-- perfect!
Thanks, Linda I'm thinking more and more that LL is the one for me!

Dennis - If not for YOU, then I am sure anyone reading this thread would be sold on getting that cultivar!

Becky- without a doubt LL is a great cultivar! Really I'm sold on it and probably will get it.

But of course I can't help but keep looking and of course I found a couple Judy Davisson cultivars that really grabbed my attention.
and
anyone have any comments on these, especially with regard to northern performance? I know there are some Davisson lovers out there!

I have some of Judy Davisson's daylilies, but not those two. I checked her website it says that Royal Girls is a hardy dormant and Molly Moonshine is a semi evergreen. When I place orders with her she will always answer questions, you could ask her if no one here has these plants.