I have been looking for a daylily cultivar with clear, pure deep purple flowers. However, I have noticed that the photos of daylilies with purple flowers in the NGA database actually range from purple to maroon and other shades, some that are somewhat muddy rather than clear purple. Reviews of daylilies on commercial websites also express frustration about purchasing a daylily for its purple flower color only to find that its color is not really purple. A search of the NGA plant database using the term "purple daylily" retrieves numerous examples of within-cultivar color variation.

I am wondering if any particular growing conditions or soil amendments can be chosen to assure or at least encourage a clear purple flower color in daylilies. Perhaps something like what is known about encouraging pink or blue color in mophead hydrangeas.

On the other hand, perhaps the differences in NGA photos just reflect differences in camera optics, time of day the photographs were taken, or some other factor unrelated to the actual color of the daylily flower.

I would appreciate some advice on choosing a purple-flowered daylily whose flowers are a clear non-muddy deep purple if one actually exists. I suspect some daylily experts are way ahead of me on this issue.

There are many factors, but the film used or the image sensor in the camera has a lot to do with it. Many very nice purples tend to photograph as red. The "purpliest" daylily I ever saw was Moldovan's Concord Town, growing in moist shade at John Benz's garden many years ago. I've been trying to locate a piece of it ever since.

People's perception of "purple" varies though. Most of the time when someone shows me a purple, I see a violet flower.

Lots of factors, camera, computer screen, time of day, etc. In my opinion, going to a daylily garden and seeing these plants in person is the best way to select. Growing conditions, zone, soil, etc are factors, but not to the extreme of hydrangeas.
'Lavender Blue Baby' is a favorite of mine. Would you say this is the color purple you are looking for?



Or more like this? 'Lavender Bliss'

Jessie6162 said:Lots of factors, camera, computer screen, time of day, etc. In my opinion, going to a daylily garden and seeing these plants in person is the best way to select. Growing conditions, zone, soil, etc are factors, but not to the extreme of hydrangeas.
'Lavender Blue Baby' is a favorite of mine. Would you say this is the color purple you are looking for?



Or more like this? 'Lavender Bliss'

• Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Lavender Bliss')
• Uploaded by Jessie6162

@Jessie6162.

Your 'Lavender Blue Baby' is pretty; it is an excellent example of the color I am aiming for, but also an excellent example of my frustration in the variation in color among images:




The color shown in the center image in the bottom row is exactly the color I want but suspect does not really exist.

Your 'Lavender Bliss' is lovely too but is different from my current search.

I have Lavender Blue Baby, bot my all time favorite is Indian Giver.


It is more purple in person. A real stand out in the garden.

I definitely think a trip to a local daylily garden would help you determine what the actual flower color will look like in your garden. The center-bottom row image looks a little on the blue side, which is pretty rare in daylilies. You might like 'Violet Etching' although I'm not sure if it grows well up north... Good luck in your search!

All of my daylilies are purple...or at least have purple eyes. I have found that the color of each flower varies slightly from day to day. Most don't have extreme variations, but they do have some. Some days a bloom will be on the red side of true purple and the next day it will be a dark purple and the day after it will be a true purple. I am not married to one particular shade of purple so it doesn't bother me. I just enjoy the variety. The most consistent blooms in my garden, as far as coloration goes, have been 1) Moments Rich in Blessing 2) Sacred Ibis 3) The Flower Formerly Known as Griff 4) God Save the Queen and 5) Rincon Del Mar. I am not sure if any of those would be the color you are looking for though...

I would recommend some of Bill Maryott's purples.

DINNER TALK (this is my image, and true to color in the garden)


Also, GRAPE PRETENDER and PURPLE PASHMINA.

An older daylily that is a great Welch's grape jelly color is Grape Velvet. But I notice in the database it does vary in color in different locations.

A very unique and beautiful purple is

csandt said:



The color shown in the center image in the bottom row is exactly the color I want but suspect does not really exist.

To me the center bottom image does not show "purple" but more blue lavender or lavender blue. You might try doing a search by characteristics and type either color into the "Color description" box just under Bloom Form. A few that come to mind that will show this color are Jewel of the Oasis, Tristan Jones, Aqua Tech and Noble Surfer. Early morning and late afternoon or part shade will enhance the "bluish"color. They can have a bit more pink in the coloration with the light of full sun.

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CS, i grow Bela Lugosi, Ashwoods Dark Side and Beyond Thunderdome. These are just 3 of my purples that seem to keep their color all day and are truly some of the truest deepest purples i have seen.
Luara Harwood is another deep purple but it also has a large yellow eye zone.
If your into multi shades of purple try Michael Bennett which i also grow. It is a real beauty and never fails to impress me with its color and gobs of buds. It is also very photogenic.

One daylily that closely matches the color you are looking for is Curt Hanson's THE DREAM SOCIETY. The purity and depth of its purple and blue tones will blow you away!!!

Chicago Arnie's Choice, On the Web, Swirling Water, Star of India, Indian Giver, These are purple for me. They are not reddish or pinkish and not muddy to my eyes.
Lavender Blue Baby is pretty, but to me it has a bluish-or muddy color when compared to a true purple.
The truth is, there is no such thing as purple as in just pure. All purples are either blue or red based (blue and red make purple, remember?) so most purples are going to either look more red or look more blue depending on the person. Lots of room here for personal preference.

Thanks to all for your recommendations and to Jessie Worsham for emphasizing the importance of seeing daylilies in person by visiting a grower. That is getting to be a challenge where I live, but I was fortunate to find one that is about an hour's drive from my home: Perfect Perennials in York County, PA, owned by Stuart and Diane Kendig (www.kendigdaylilies.com).

'Indian Giver' was the one cultivar that was on at least two of your lists of recommended cultivars, and photos of it in the NGA database were fairly consistent from one image to another. It was also listed on the Perfect Perennials website, so I was able to see it in person and purchase a clump. (It was the only cultivar on your lists that I was able to see in person.)

The Kendigs had many daylily cultivars for sale that were not listed on their website, and I came home with two in addition to 'Indian Giver': 'Nile Flower' and 'Royal 'Occasion'. Here is 'Nile Flower' photographed in the pot from Perfect Perennials:



There were numerous enticing purple cultivars, especially a dark purple spider with a bright yellow throat (I can't remember the name), so temptation was a major challenge while walking through the Kendigs' beautiful display gardens.

The Kendigs are planning to downsize Perfect Perennials soon to focus on Stuart's daylily introductions, so I was fortunate to see it in its present pre-downsized multi-cultivar glory. They have been in business for 20 years. Their downsizing will make it very difficult to see cultivars of interest in this part of Pennsylvania, other than the handfull offered by garden centers.

Again, thanks to all for your lists of recommended purple daylily cultivars. I would love to see all of them in person. It makes all the difference in the world in choosing daylilies!

Hey guys. I know I'm probably on the wrong thread but I'm starting a daylily collection and I have 2 so far. I just received 100 seeds and I really need help with germination. The 2 I have were bought so this is my first time growing from seed. Any tips, any at all would be greatly appreciated!!!

SGB - This link may or may not be helpful to you. This is how I start my daylily seeds:
http://garden.org/ideas/view/b...

There are many different ways to sow and grow daylily seeds. I am sure others here on the forum will share their method, too! Good luck!

CS. I know your frustration with not getting what you thought you ordered from photos. I ordered these purples / lavenders this year and I love them, my photos here, just not the same as their pictures!
Blueberry Dream



Count Your Assets



Curb Appeal

Mystic Image





Falkor- this was a free gift



You might like these. I've had them several years.
Moroccan Sapphire


Respighi



John Karl Seager Daylily

As you can see I too love the purple and lavenders - and I am freakishly addicted to yellows

Legalily said:CS. I know your frustration with not getting what you thought you ordered from photos. I ordered these purples / lavenders this year and I love them, my photos here, just not the same as their pictures!
Blueberry Dream



Count Your Assets



Curb Appeal

Mystic Image





Falkor- this was a free gift



You might like these. I've had them several years.
Moroccan Sapphire


Respighi



John Karl Seager Daylily

As you can see I too love the purple and lavenders - and I am freakishly addicted to yellows

Ginny,

Lovely photos! I especially like 'Blueberry Dream' and 'Respighi'. Where did you get them?