About 25 years ago I attended a regional meeting in Northern California, and one of the tour gardens was at the Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux in Vina, near Chico. One of the resident monks was an AHS member and enthusiast, and had used daylilies to great effect in the landscape. Unfortunately, the tour commenced around noon on a 105ยบ day, and on almost every daylily, even the pastels, the flowers had collapsed and were hanging like wet tissue. Amidst this daylily tour disaster, Black Plush was standing tall, holding both substance and color, with a velvety finish which made an impression on everyone who saw it. I've grown it ever since, and it never disappoints.
