Background history:

'Russian Rhapsody' is a semi-evergreen tetraploid introduced in 1973 by Munson-R.W..

It has earned the following AHS awards:
LAA: 1989
JC: 1974
Honorable Mention: 1976
Award of Merit: 1979

This plant can be found in the ATP Plant Database at:
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Russian Rhapsody') .

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Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Russian Rhapsody')

Bought this commerate the relationship we have with a Russian family. It bloomed the first year and ever since. The color is true and doesn't fade where I have planted. It has increased at good rate.

I had this daylily for about 3 years and then it left my garden. I found that it just didn't bloom long enough, but count was not very good.

I bought this but it didn't survive the first winter. This was years ago and I didn't try it again so can't say if it just wasn't hardy here or there was some other problem.

I love my "Russian Rhapsody". I don't really deserve to have it. A friend of mine in Gainesville, FL gave me a couple of daylilies when we left that area of Florida. Our house sold quickly and I didn't have a chance to take starts from my daylily collection but instead, spent many hours setting up and clearing pastures for our horses, getting the stumps from the pine farm (450/acre) out of the pastures and hay areas, getting power and water in, etc. The daylilies that my friend Sean gave me were just put in buckets from fencing materials, no soil, put underneath the shelter of trees and forgotten. A couple of years later, through a drought, I found them growing in those bare buckets. Of the daylilies that survived that atrocious neglect, Russian Rhapsody came through practically unscathed as did Sammy Russell (1952? I think) and Final Touch. Once planted in tended soil, it has flourished, always blooming early, consistent, covered in flowers that are just the color of the photos that you see with the classic Munson form. A very forgiving plant. It will always have a place here. On the other hand, Sammy Russell and Final Touch bloomed for a couple of years but most years make themselves a bit scarce. Russian Rhapsody is a true testament to the hardiness and vigor of the daylily species.

Barb

When I moved house I lost some daylilies and some were stolen. After 4 yrs I was still hoping it might appear among the scrawny plants that were registered ones but had lost their identifying labels. I liked RR a lot but it got rust badly so wasn't sure I'd replace it.

But, I am pretty sure now that I still have it. It has had some pretty nasty growing conditions, but it has just had a few blooms and has more to come. The pics are redder than the bloom appears to me.
Five years ago
In the last few weeks

Russian Rhapsody is the plant that started me down the long Daylily road. I bought a plant at a DL farm in Vermont back in 1995. I still have the same plant! I've relocated it a few times and it's had a lot of competition. So, it's not exactly prolific. Still, I love it and it also has sentimental value for me. Here are some photos from this year. It's an early bloomer, among my first to go, right after Stella D'Oro.

Russian Rhapsody had a great summer in 2021. Upper bed, where it is located was cleaned out, and Russian Rhapsody responded by throwing thirty blooms from June 27 to July 27, a nice long season. I've always loved this flower, it's strong, unfussy and beautiful. My first Daylily that wasn't orange! I'll always have this one.

2022, slightly less prolific. RR bloomed from June 29 to July 18, with more than 25 blooms. It is getting crowded by Cherry Lace which is expanding into a giant clump. Still beautiful though!

I received Russian Rhapsody as a bonus in 2009 and gave it away in 2018 to downsize my garden. I liked it, but it wasn't an outstanding performer. I don't recall seeing rust on it. In 2015, it bloomed from 6/15 until at least 7/10 and other years it bloomed a little less than that.

The first two pictures were taken on 6/15/2017. Looks like I kind of let the coneflowers take over that year.
Morning


Afternoon


By 2014, it had multiplied, but I wouldn't say it was a fast increaser.


Branching and bud count was low. The blooms were always above the foliage, always looked nice with very few blemishes and the scapes were nice and sturdy. I think it makes a nice bouquet.

2023 update…a terrible year for Russian Rhapsody. It's quite possible that most of the clump was spaced out at the same time as a Fulva ( I'm forever digging those out of my gardens). Anyway, I only saw three blooms this year. Maybe next season…