cybersix,
It does look like 'Always Afternoon' to me, judging from other photos in the database. I do not grow it.

Daylilies can take 3 years to mature. Blooms can be spot on right from the get go and some can take 3 years to match. I have experienced that. So for now it could be considered close enough and a daylily you would keep your eye on. As long as it is pretty to you and makes you happy. Now if you wanted it for hybridizing that would be a different story. Many blessings to you on this wonderful day!

Well, I took a couple pictures of mine, and I see that it has a strip too, just not as pronounced as yours. It also has that faint "tannish" edge like your's does. I'd say it's a close match. If you have another one too, and you know it's AA, and they look the same, then there's a good chance it's AA.

Tom, many thanks! I believe this is the real Always Afternoon. I remember well, I have one fan only and it bloomed this year for the first time.
Here are the two pics side by side, left NOID and right Always Afternoon



I can tell they are different. Now off to ID the doubtful one!

The one on the left is probably Siloam Merle Kent. Bloom sizes and scape heights can vary a lot from place to place. On our local garden tour this summer, I saw S. Merle Kent in one of the gardens, it was 25+" tall.

Thank you Kidfishing. It's funny finding a unsuspected plant in the garden!
Siloam Merle Kent should be a miniature, or a small plant. I'd like to cross it with Stella but since height can vary so much I won't be sure I'll have a small DL. It's really a big difference on the registered height!

This is what I have marked as Always Afternoon. It's one of my very first daylilies to bloom.