This conversation has gotten more in depth and very, very interesting! Thank you to both Fred and Maurice for bringing up some really good points!
I have a question .... were the "original" daylilies (like the wild ditch lilies) considered evergreen, semi-evergreen, or dormant? I am assuming that ever-green and semi-evergreen were what the original daylilies were, but I could be totally wrong. I ask because it seems that the original genes are somewhere hidden deep in the genetic history of ALL daylilies, right? If they were evergreens or semi's, how did they get dormants? And if the originals were dormants, how did they evolve to become an evergreen? I need a quick summary of the evolution of daylilies.
I have grown a number of other plant species that were not supposed to thrive in my zone and climate. They were grown from seeds or from very young seedlings. I have also purchased larger plants of the same and they typically did not do well. Plants grown here from seeds tend to do better for me. That is another reason I like growing plants from seeds ... especially if it is something not native to Florida or not from a similar climate. The seed grown plants seem to adapt better in my zone/climate than a purchased plant. That may sound crazy, but I genuinely believe it is true for a number of the plants in my garden. I grow several plants that are considered "northern" plants in my yard. Many are in containers. Perhaps it is more about the soil than the climate for a majority of plants?
