How often is there a prolif on a scape with a pod? My recollection is that they are more often on podless scapes. That could make for a back-up system if no seeds are set.

That would make biological sense, Sue! Mother Nature is pretty good at figuring things out!

@cybersix
Sabrina, here is the one prolif that I had mentioned earlier. It was from a seedling, I was lucky enough to grab at a plant swap in the spring.

Looking good Stan!!! Great work! Thanks for sharing!

Some daylilies that seem to produce prolifs regularly here:
Longfield's Beauty, Best of Friends, Pink Damask, Gunmetal, Lake Norman Spider.
I will check tomorrow to see if there are others.
I cut prolifs as described by most and root them with the base/root bud just touching the water. Very quickly I get roots around 2-3" long and I plant straight into the ground. We don't get many nights more than 4 degrees F below freezing and the prolifs grow rapidly

Proliferations grow from the bract area on the scape where there are growth nodes, these form branches and occasionally prolifs. I've seen them on a number of cultivars and seedlings and believe that all daylilies would have the potential to grow prolifs on a scape under the right conditions. What those are

A tip picked up over the years...
If a prolif forms at the base of a branch where there are no seedpods set ...try to set seedpods! The growing seedpods will tell the plant to keep the scape alive longer allowing time for the seedpods to ripen... and prolif to grow roots.

Years ago there were several hybridizers that used BAP regularly on the bracts to produce prolifs. BAP is a plant growth hormone and it was said that it would produce many prolifs. There was an article 8 -10 years ago in the Daylily Journal by Dan Trimmer about using BAP. The use of BAP became common for a few years until folks began complaining about receiving "prolif size"plants or that the plants produced with BAP were weaker plants. Now some growers will mention in their ads, websites or sales that they do not use BAP.

Good to know, Char!

sooby said:Sheri, if you still have flowers on your ditch lilies can you post a photo? I've never seen prolifs in either the ditch lily (Hemerocallis fulva 'Europa') or 'Kwanso'. 'Europa' rarely sets seeds and 'Kwanso' (a double flower)' cannot set seeds because it doesn't have normal reproductive parts.

I told my mother they weren't kwansos, and maybe they aren't ditch lilies, I was just going by what my grandma said... I'll post a pic of the daylily I got them from..and like I said I'm new to all this
Just call me dumbo

I bought this daylily this spring. Spacecoast Francis Busby, and I got a prolif off her. I made sure I kept this one marked and separated from the others.

Sheri - Those do not look like ditch lilies or Kwanso to me. Looks like a daylily cultivar to me or perhaps a seedling.

they're not ditch lilies or 'Kwanso', Sheri. Pretty though

I have one leaf prolif that's drying. Should I cut it and try to make it live?

I do have lots of proliferations on scapes with pods. I am waiting to harvest seeds from serveral before I can cut the prolif.

Sabrina - I would, if it is a cultivar that you want to share with one of your friends!

Terry - With all the daylilies you have .... I bet you have a ton of prolifs!

Becky, the same plant has another healthier prolif on another scape. I may try with this before it dies, to root it in water!
@beckygardener, do you use plain water? How do you secure them to prevent them touching water?

I use Spring water or well water. (No chlorine in the water.) I use a paper cup and only fill with water high enough to barely reach the bottom of the prolif. That will encourage the roots to grow rapidly to reach the water source. If it is still on the scape (cut a few inches below and above the scape). The scape will hold it up above the water so that the plant is not submerged in water. Or is your scape crumbling? If so, I'd set the scape on a wet paper towel.

Thank you, I can't understand what you mean with crumbling scape, sorry
But it look as I can do what you describe! Many thanks!
Edit: do I keep the leaf from the bract or can I take it away? The prolif is really small and it's inside a big bract leaf!

Crumbling scape = A scape that has dried out to the point of falling apart. I have some in my garden right now that are deteriorating beyond use.

Sorry about that.

Don't worry, thanks for the explanation. I never saw a really crumbling scape!

here's the prolif I just cut.


should I remove the lateral leaf?