This winter we lost our K. Mitchell daylilies. After 3 years growing Dan Mac Mitchell and Lilac Queen and 7 years growing Mildred Mitchell, all three died.
Last year I lost Texas Kaleidoscope and Cosmic Kaleidoscope, both Carpenter cultivars.
A few years back, I lost 6 or 7 R. Norris daylilies in one winter.
Living here, we understand that some plants are not going to survive. The middle of the country can get such a wide variance of weather conditions from temps to moisture. For example, the year I lost all the Norris cultivars, the temperature variation for that year was 124 degrees F. From a winter low of -11F to a summer high of 113F (I barely survived that year). Also periods of extreme wet or dry conditions can take place in the same year.
But, with that as it is, we grow about 600 registered daylilies that all experience the same conditions and just a few die each year. The loss of daylily cultivars that are related by hybridizer raises the question about genetics or origin or something that caused them to die together. Or is it just happenstance?
Does anyone have a similar experience or opinion or science to offer?
Terry
