Viewing post #2478970 by Hortaholic

Wildbirds said:So Sweet >> Miss Victoria ... Miss Victoria >> So Sweet .... Thx Hortaholic for this information ....

(Never yet divided & has bloomed well every year) ... (Like the Eveready Rabbit: Takes a beating but keeps on going)

I'm in Ontario @ Z4/5 range ... MV is as hardy as a polar bear ...

HSD ('High-Scape-Density' - Charlie Zettek Rochester NY breeder introduced this term/characteristic to me @ an Ontario Daylily Society presentation several years ago)

You're welcome! I'm surprised at the interest in this topic, and gratified!
Thanks for confirming that with your own observations of Miss Victoria and 'So Sweet'!! You clearly keep excellent records.👍🏻

Your crossing plans sound very interesting I'll look forward to hearing some of the results. I like all types of daylilies and love it that some hybridizers are working to advance the less "trendy" types. You never know when you'll start a new trend.

Like Robin, I loved your "hardy as a polar bear". ❤️ Maybe that will start a trend 😀

Scape density..introduced to you by Charlie Zettek. I think this is one of the most overlooked aspects of evaluating garden performance of daylilies!! Is there a thread on the topic? I'd love to hear about daylilies which put on a true display!

For anyone who hasn't heard it, this is exactly as it sounds- how many scapes are there "per square foot of clump"? Do you see a bouquet of flowers on top surrounded by a ruff of foliage? (Dense, and probably mostly straight scapes) Or do you see a lot of foliage dotted with a flower here and there?

No matter how beautiful the flowers, a dotty one will never make a great garden / landscape daylily.

Scientists have another way to look at this - photosynthate partitioning. Simply, what does the plant do with the sugars and other products of the leaves? Make a lot of roots but few leaves or flowers? Make a lot of leaves but neglect the flowers and roots? Or a well balanced distribution? Preferably tilted somewhat toward flowers 😄

Also, your point about continued excellent performance despite not being divided for years is well taken. I haven't divided mine either, and I suspect rebloom would improve with occasional dividing. Um, not to mention fertilizer and water which it doesn't get, just a lovely fertile soil and rain per nature's whims.

Thanks so much for your informative post! 👍🏻