I believe noctunal are more scented because it's the only way they have to attract insects.
I had some seeds of H.Citrina crossed with another nocturnal I can't remember, but only one sprouted...
The funny thing is that I keep on asking about daylilies I can't have

Most fragrant would probably be Hudson Valley. I just acquired Wind Song which I believe is supposed to be very fragrant, but will have to wait until next year to find out.



Hudson Valley--pictures taken three weeks ago in the evening about 7:15 p.m. and it was hot and humid which may have something to do with fragrance, but I really don't know. The flowers were so pretty even that late, looked fine, no collapsing.

I confirm Spanish Glow among mine, with many flowers open at the same time I can smell it just walking by.
I'd like to have some really fragrant flower but I just can't replace daylilies!

I am going to have to smell my 'Spanish Glow'. It would help if the scapes were taller this year, but the blooms are down in the foliage at the present.

Mine are really high. Don't get lost in the clump to smell them!

I only have one that i know of. Grecian Sands.


Smells like cheap cologne but on a flower it is a surprisingly pleasant smell.

My new HUDSON VALLEY finally bloomed. It is a simple, old-fashioned yellow flower without any modern frills or fanciness. But WOW what a fragrance!

It is by far the most fragrant daylily I have ever smelled, and that includes the original scented species.

Quality of the perfume is also superb. If I were to close my eyes I wouldn't be able to distinguish it from lily of the valley.

I'm seeing a trend that many of the yellows are highly scented is this just a coincidence?

I am going to have to put Hudson Valley at the top of my list! I just can not turn down fragrance in the garden! Thanks Corey! I like lily of the valley scent. Not being able to have lily of the valley here would make it a win win!
Many blessings for an overabundance of joy, peace and security!

Allergies and deviated septum, not to mention the late 1980's. I can smell perfume, pizza, and Oriental lilies in that order. Some roses but not much else without effort. Not a big feature for me in a daylily but it is interesting reading/viewing.

not to mention the late 1980's Wes you are so crazy.

I cant say I have any that aren't "stick your nose" in to smell 'em. But fragrance is one characteristic I prefer in daylilies and my crosses this year are among fragrant varieties. Lullaby Baby, Chosen Love, Sallie Farley- all are pleasingly fragrant. I do not have nearly the variety count that many of you have and many of mine are older varieties. But those three are reliably nice-smelling (and Chosen Love is still blooming- going on four weeks...)
*Inhale*... Ahhh.....

Oh to have a garden full of daylily fragrance. I have other plants though that have scent .... Brugmansia, Gardenia, Roses, 4 O'Clocks, and the evening blooming Epi. I love scent in the garden. I also grow herbs that have an amazing scent if you touch or brush up against them.

Heck! I like it all! Thanks for the list of scented cultivars! I have to wonder if the older cultivars are more scented than the newer ones? Could the scent be bred out of the newer cultivars?

@beckygardener: I don't know about fragrance being bred out- but the AHS used to give an award for fragrance- yet no longer does, if I'm not mistaken. So it does kind of look like either ppl stopped breeding for fragrance or it just became a non-factor, maybe getting lost in the search of a different trait. If I can get seedlings from this year's crosses, I'll have a starting point since that's all I'm breeding for at the moment.

I'll have to add half of this thread to my wish list...

Diana - Lucky you! My guess is that it was not a priority, so breeders didn't bother to breed for fragrance. I have so many other issues to breed for, but fragrance would certainly be one if I wasn't breeding for rust resistance and heat tolerance.

If anybody is interested, Bonnie Nichols sells Hudson Valley for $6. I bought two from her last year--just love them. One caveat--they rust rather badly here in our Zone 8a garden, but because I love the flowers and the fragrance so much, I will keep them regardless of rust. If you live in a climate where rust will be winter killed, this should not be an issue.

@beckgardener There are so many DL forms and styles that are bred for! I can't imagine where DL's might go in the future. The idea of better scented flowers- the point behind stopping to smell them- appeals to me more than breeding for other desirable traits. Winter would take care of any rust issues and my zone 5b might suck for some plants, but the DL's do excellently. I have watered only once this year and I've never fertilized anything. Gotta love the heartiness of them!