In the vast world of daylilies there is a special group of varieties. They are called spiders, or arachnid daylilies (from "spider", translated from English - "spider"). They got such an unusual name just because their flowers are distinguished by long, narrow, often spread wide, like spider legs, petals.
About varieties
There are many varieties of daylily, and spiders are no exception. Therefore, I will only talk about those that have been successfully growing in my garden for a long time.
‘Velvet Ribbons’. Photo: Andrey Ganov
Personal opinion
The ideal spider (or unusually shaped daylily) should be big! In the annals of the vast database of daylilies there are also tiny spiders, with a flower diameter of 10–12 cm, such as ‘Black Plush’ or ‘Crimson Pirate’. I do not see any zest in these varieties. It seems to me that if you were “made” an unusual daylily, then this unusualness should be evident without any measuring instruments!Here, for example, is the chic ‘Velvet Ribbons’. From a glance at his flowering bush, it takes your breath away. And the color, and the size, and the shape! When describing this variety, you no longer want the boring words “flower diameter”. I want something poetic, well, at least "scattering petals." By the way, in this variety it is about 30 cm - with a good plate. Yes, and the height of the peduncle, according to Lileynikov's standards, is guards - 110 cm. And with such a completely unearthly beauty, it blooms very well and grows well.
And here is the absolutely stunning Heavenly Angel Ice. It has everything: elegance, grace, and some kind of mystery. Each daylily flower lasts only one day, but every day more and more new flowers open, which, like human fingerprints, never repeat. No, no, if this variety is supposed to be a pale cream color with a green throat, then so be it, but the size of the whimsically curved curls, the turn of the flower, its shape are unique.
By the way, every year the American Society of Daylilies awards awards in the nomination " best grade- Stout Medal. Three years ago this award was given to ‘Heavenly Angel Ice’.
Heavenly Angel Ice. Photo: Andrey Ganov Another one of my favorites with flowers of bright red, downright flashy color is ‘Red Suspenders’. They are not just red, but burning, fiery! And the bends of the petals, like the previous variety, every day a little bit, but different.
Very attractive and also often found in garden centers, the variety ‘Free Wheelin’ is a two-tone, creamy yellow with a crimson star-shaped spot in the center. This variety blooms stably and profusely in St. Petersburg, completely ignoring the fact that he was "born" in the south of Florida.
Another southerner that has no problems in our region is the ‘Bali Watercolor’ variety with 25 cm flowers, lavender-cherry with a green throat. Other advantages of this variety include, of course, the fact that the flowers have a delicate, but distinct aroma.
‘Red suspenders’. Photo: AIF / Elena Kozhina
In the flower garden
Spider-shaped daylilies look great both in a single planting and in company with other plants, for example, in an exquisite mixborder. Their flowers with narrow, long petals resemble a flock of colorful butterflies hovering over a flowering meadow.There are quite a few cultivars with pure yellow flowers among spiders, and their differences from each other are in nuances. ‘Heavenly Free Spirit’ flowers are simple, without much fuss. And the ‘Spider Miracle’ has twisted-twisted, whimsically, as if on purpose bent. Giants are especially striking. In yellow, this is ‘Gold Elephant’, that is, in translation, the “Golden Elephant”. Its petals are decorated with a thin frill, and their scope exceeds 25 cm.
About cultivation
To begin with, I would like to dispel the myth that came from nowhere that daylilies-spiders are big sissies, grow poorly with us, and even their flowering is generally from the realm of fantasy. Nothing like this! In our, by no means ideal conditions, they live, bloom and are healthy, and sometimes even better than daylilies of the usual form.
Many flower growers know that some modern daylily varieties, which are so-called evergreens, do not always winter well. In winters, when frosty days give way to thaws, they may start growing at the wrong time and then freeze. So, the vast majority of spiders belong to the deciduous daylilies that are practically problem-free in our country, which are not subject to such “provocations”. This means that they winter easily and without losses.
'Black Arrowhead'. Photo: Andrey Ganov
Other requirements (sunny location, moderately fertile soil, infrequent but plentiful watering and several top dressings complex fertilizers per season) for "spiders" are exactly the same as for other varieties.
You can admire spider daylilies for a very long time. If you do not already have a similar masterpiece in the garden, try to get one. And if there is, then I'm sure there will be more soon. For daylilies in general and spiders in particular do not happen much!
Heavenly Free Spirit. Photo: Andrey Ganov
Spider or UFO?
A few words about terminology. Daylilies with spider-shaped flowers are divided into two groups (in my opinion, somewhat artificially created). If the ratio of the length of the petals to their width is 5:1 or more, then this is a real spider, or spider. If the ratio is different, but the petals are still narrow and, moreover, also bizarre (curved, twisted, wrapped in a spiral, etc.), then they are classified as daylilies of an “unusual shape”, or UFO (UFO - Unusual Form). The last group is also very diverse and is divided into “curly” (Crispate) - with the tips of the petals folded into curls, “spatulate” (Spatulate) - with petals narrow at the center of the flower and expanding towards the ends, and “cascade” (Cascades) - with falling, in the manner of the jets of a waterfall, petals. Needless to say, this division is also very approximate. Judge for yourself: is it possible to clearly, without doubting one iota, say that this flower is curly, and this one is cascading? But it is precisely this classification that is accepted in the community of daylily lovers around the world.With a wide variety of modern daylilies and novelties of recent years, there are varieties with high decorative qualities, exquisite beauty of the flower and the highest winter hardiness, n o being rare plants in our gardens . It is almost impossible to meet them at Russian exhibitions, in extensive collections of lovers of this culture, and they hard to get.
I was lucky to become the owner of such exclusive daylilies, to grow and observe them in my garden!
Let's take a look at twenty today. top - 20 "Rarity and Exclusive"!
1. Planetary Purple (Reed, 2013)- a little over 1 m high with a flower with a diameter of 18 cm. The UVI flower is cascading, grape-purple in color with a lilac-blue watermark and a white zone around the green throat. Sleeping and unpretentious variety with narrow foliage. This daylily creates a gentle airy image with a very elegant flower of an unusual color, such "shape-color" combinations are no longer found! Looks great in the foreground of the flower garden, in combination with small-branched phloxes, openwork light inflorescences of lightning.
2. Gryphon Hankow Legacy (Stelter, 2012)- the hybridizer indicated the height of the peduncles is 91 cm, but for me this daylily shows a height of about 1.1 m. The peduncles are very well branched and the bush shows bouquet flowering. Flower cascading UVI light orange tone with a bright orange-red chevron. Dark olive throat perfectly complements the exquisite color of the flower! Medium flowering variety, dormant with good growth rate.
3. Orchid Spangles (Mahieu-Burris, 2007)- a rather high daylily reaching 1.25 m. The UFO flower is large (20 cm) of a very beautiful shape. Cream-lemon petals with a lilac halo coating and a cream border. The neck of the kiwi shade seems neon. Peduncles have up to 6 branches and carry many buds! Flowers bloom very well, do not interfere with each other, they are not afraid of cool nights, flowering is always plentiful and of high quality. Subtle aroma is another plus of the variety! Dormant, medium flowering. Thanks to the watercolor color with a delicate radiance, it goes well with daylilies of any shade!
4. Flaming Flamingo (Laprise, 2007)- a semi-evergreen tetraploid 1.1 m high and a flower with a diameter of 18 cm. A UVI-shaped flower with curled petals. Color shade simply incredible - fiery-brilliant orange-red! A brilliant red eye on wide satin petals looks like a flame! Abundant with long flowering due to the abundance of buds on strong peduncles. I recommend it to all lovers of pure, bright and noble colors!
5. Frog Not Included (Clement, 2013)- one of the novelties of Brad Clement, which has proven itself in the garden! Height up to 1.2 m, the highest growth rate of the bush, powerful healthy foliage. Flower 18 cm with matte lilac wavy petals of a delicate mother-of-pearl shade with darker wreaths and a very large, spectacular green-cream application! early term flowering, blooms one of the first and thanks to the huge number of peduncles, flowering is enchanting and long. An exquisite masterpiece of recent years for lovers of sophisticated colors and shades! Wonderful combined with perennials of light colors, an indispensable component of white flower beds!
6. Barnegat Light (Murphy-J.P. 2004)- I immensely respect and appreciate all the creations of Jim Murphy, his varieties deserve the highest ratings! This daylily is no exception - tall (1.2 - 1.4 m) and stately with a large cascading flower, blooming in mid-late periods. The variety is distinguished by a contrasting combination of colors (orange petals with a large red eye) at the same time very harmonious. I think that this is a landscape daylily and all its advantages are revealed in garden compositions. Sleeping, hardy, unpretentious with friendly abundant flowering, optimistic and joyful. I like how it looks with graceful burnets (Tanna and Morning Select varieties) and even pink physiostegia (which spontaneously grew next to it does not spoil the picture. Because the variety is very plastic in combinations due to the pattern.
7. Say Yes (Murphy-J.P. 2014)- a recent novelty that managed to firmly take one of the first places in my collection! Tall peduncles, over 1.2 m, bear large cascading flowers. Their shade is unusual - cold pink-lilac, two-tone with a lavender border and a large light lemon throat. Dormant, medium-late flowering period. A noble variety, every lucky owner can definitely be proud of this!
8. Supreme Tangerine (Mock, 2009)- "The Greatest Mandarin" is truly great! :-) Sufficiently large flowers of this tetraploid have very thick waxy petals of a lovely yellow-orange dense color. This caramel shade looks very attractive! With a height of about 1 m, the variety can be widely used in flower arrangements. Fragrant and dormant, medium term. Despite my large collection of orange hues, this variety is different in tone and there is no other like it!
9. Chesapeake Light (Murphy-J.P. 2010)- large-flowered daylily of the original color! A reddish lavender with a lavender eye and a thin wavy cream border. The hue changes with lighting, in the sun the flower looks brighter with a predominance of mahogany shade, in cloudy weather and in the evening colder lilac-blue tones appear. Tall (up to 1.4 m), medium-late, sleeping with good branching of peduncles and abundant flowering. In my opinion, this variety is ideal for landscape compositions and when an expressive "big-eyed" flower in a "predatory" style is required :-)
10.Tangerine Ibis (Mahieu, 2003)- "Tangerine Ibis" is the owner of high and very powerful peduncles! Luminous melon-orange flowers with a cadmium-colored throat gracefully float in the air! The unusual shade of narrow-petal flowers attracts attention. The variety is also reliable in any weather, it is not at all afraid of cold damp nights and in the morning you will be able to observe perfectly opened high-quality flowers without a single speck of non-painting! A dormant diploid of medium flowering time. A strong bush grows quickly and becomes a wonderful diamond of the most demanding collection!
11. Two Cats Dancing (Clement, 2007)- if you choose one of the darkest daylilies and at the same time bloom like a clock, then this variety is definitely a favorite here! A real find for lovers of dramatic effects in the composition. An abundance of flower buds on well-branched peduncles! Plant height 1 m, large flower of even pure color with a diameter of up to 20 cm. Sleeping, medium-late, excellent design flower garden foreground. An original creation by Brad Clement, a classy strain with a face of its own!
12. Starfish Prime (Murphy-J.P. 2013)- one of the novelties of recent years with a powerful bush, high peduncles (over 1.4 m) and a large flower in the form of a cascade UVI. Very beautiful white-cream petals with wavy edges and a huge red-purple hoop! Sleeping, mid-late with an abundance of buds. It is not at all afraid of night cold snaps during the opening of buds, it is very stable and reliable. A prominent variety, a good accent, a godsend for shrub and coniferous compositions! I advise as an excellent partner for white and purple phlox!
13. All My Kittens (Clement, 2012)- the rarest variety in pink color scheme! Amazing luminous shade pink tone with thinner, thinnest veins on the petals and a bright orange neck - an unusual combination! Graceful cascading flower form - UVI, medium-early flowering, dormant with excellent growth rate, about 1.2 m high. Lovers of original color combinations and exquisite beauty definitely cannot miss this variety! :-)
14.Scandinavia (Mahieu, 2003)- a variety of real Scandinavian esthete! Openwork almost White flower very large size of a high-quality curled UFO form! High growth (1.4 m), strong peduncles (branching reaches 5 branches) bearing a huge number of elegant elongated buds, excellent winter hardiness (sleeping variety) and delicate aroma - everything in this daylily is in excellent shape! I advise all lovers of white varieties and, most importantly, rarities, since the variety is truly unique!
15. Pray for Rain (Clement, 2008)- this chic handsome man for lovers of real gold! :-) I have never seen such a rich golden-yellow hue in more than one variety, except for this exclusive from the respected Brad Clement! A large cascading UVI flower with magnificent falling narrow petals on tall peduncles (up to 1.3 m)! Truly huge golden butterflies soar in the air above the bush, an amazing landscape variety for lovers of everything unhackneyed, not like everyone else! The variety is dormant, stable in any weather, you will never meet any unopened freak flowers or spotted non-paints on it!
16. Counterwise Wine (Michaels, 2013)- I boldly assert that this is one of the most beautiful spiders of our time! Gorgeous burgundy-colored flower, rich and velvety! Late flowering (we always bloom amazingly in August and never act up! At a height of 1.1 m, it looks great in the foreground, but the environment of this exclusive handsome man must correspond to his stylish status! :-) Noble spider for connoisseurs of elegance and sophisticated rigor!
17. Origin Stories (Reed, 2005)- Margot Reed is famous for her varieties that are resistant to our climate and her direction in breeding quality daylilies. This variety is no exception - the highest (up to 1.5 m) thanks to which it looks great in flower beds in the middle ground proudly raising its flying lacy flowers! And these flowers are worthy of special attention due to the watercolor light lilac-pink hue, it seems that the spring twilight has descended to the ground! Very plentiful and grateful daylily, a real decoration of my collection!
18. Banana Smoothie (George-T. 2006) - and this exclusive handsome man is for lovers of everything giant! Imagine - flower stalks up to 1.6 m tall with branching up to 6 branches, raising huge 25 cm UVI flowers with curled intricately twisted very dense petals of a yellow-banana tone above a powerful bush! The hybridizer will definitely go down in world breeding history thanks to this wonderful creation! Blooms mid-early. A daylily about which we can safely say - thoroughbred! One of the gems of my collection!
19. Bob Marley- It's no secret that I'm a devoted fan of the selection of a wonderful and talented woman Ellen Laprise! all its varieties are like works of high art! Best Choice for our climate thanks to excellent growth qualities, the purest colors and special nobility! Bob Marley combines all the best qualities of curled UV in his flower! Wide dense petals of fiery orange-terracotta color with diamond coating shining like diamonds in sunshine! A bush 1 m high with an abundance of peduncles, and most importantly buds, bouquet flowering is unusually long! I love the combination of this daylily with purple-leaved vesicles, air burnet, goldenrods and lilac popular small-flowered phlox.
20. Miss Goldie Gold Digger (Davisson-J. 2011)- and what a collection of rarities without a wonderful Gold Digger! :-) The huge powerful flowers of this UVI tetraploid with dense curled petals in the shade of gold bars make an indelible impression! Dormant with broad foliage with a bluish tint, 1.1 m high, blooming later than most varieties closes the kaleidoscope of daylily blooms in my garden. Geleniums of various colors are excellent partners for this incomparable giant!
Be sure to plant these varieties in your garden and I promise - you will get only wonderful impressions and emotions! These masterpieces of the flower world will never let you down, will not disappoint, and most importantly, thanks to such rarities, your garden will become even more beautiful and exclusive!
It is known that wild daylilies, although very beautiful, are very different from those luxurious hybrids that we admire today in gardens. Natural species have more modest flowers in all respects, both in size and color. The petals of most savages are rather narrow, and some are even very narrow. In some species small flowers, in others they generally bloom in the evening and fade before noon. But it seems curious and instructive that in these imaginary shortcomings, nature has laid a huge potential, which people, to their credit, were able to appreciate and reveal.
Talented and passionate hybridizers chose different paths, according to their aesthetic preferences. Some sought a huge size of the flower, while others, on the contrary, sought to minimize it. While most daylily enthusiasts liked round shapes with wide, overlapping perianth lobes, there were those who appreciated the elegance and originality of the narrow-petalled species.
The latter direction gradually led to the establishment of a new group in the classification of daylilies - the so-called spiders. Spider - transliteration English word spider (spider). The association here is inspired by the similarity of the narrow curved petals of a flower with the legs of an arthropod, which, as you know, has exactly eight of them. But for many spider varieties, the multi-petal phenomenon is characteristic, when instead of six petals eight are formed (for example, this happens with the Wildest Dreams variety). Who knows, maybe it was just such an example that prompted someone's rich imagination in due time ...
Already in the 1920s, a certain LeMoine Bechtold from Missouri was carried away by the hybridization of narrow-petaled species. From 1949 to 1952, he registered several hybrids, among which Kindly Light, which later became very popular and received in 1989 the first special award for spiders.
Until the mid-1980s, the spider group did not officially exist (that is, it was not recorded by the American Daylily Society, which has become a generally recognized legislator in this area). After a more or less lengthy debate, the supporters of the spider daylilies and the leaders of the Society came to a compromise regarding the classification of such varieties. It was decided to distinguish three groups in accordance with the proportions of the petals.
* Actually spiders. The ratio of the length and width of the petals of such daylilies should be no less than 5.0:1 (that is, it can be 5.2:1, 7:1, etc.). The longest of the blossomed petals is selected, straightened in length and width and measured in such a flat state (as opposed to round large-flowered varieties, whose diameter is taken in horizontal projection). Examples - yellow solid Kindly Light (7.7:1) - one of the famous ancestors of modern spiders, yellow with a red chevron eye De Colores (6.0:1), coral-pink Wildest Dreams with a large stretched olive-green throat ( 6.8:1), Skinny Minny Green-Yellow with Mustard Halo (5.0:1), Fluttering Beauty Ivory Terry.
* Spider Variants - this group used to include those who just missed the required proportion: the ratio of length and width is not less than 4.0:1, but does not include 5.0:1. This group includes the popular red-black Black Plush (4.6:1), pale lilac Cerulean Star (4.0:1), yellow-green Green Widow (4.1:1), mauve Yabba Dabba Do.
* Unusually shaped daylilies - this includes varieties that do not fall into the parameters not only in any of the previous groups, but also in the large-flowered group (due to the too unusual or “exotic”, according to experts, flower shape). This type is characterized by great diversity - the petals are twisted along (Lola Branham, Magic of Oz, Lake Norman Spider) or twisted across (Navaho Gray Hills), longitudinally compressed (Primal Scream, Mynelle's Starfish), spatulate (Golliwog, Dancing Summerbird,) or falling (Judge Roy Bean). There are novelties with corrugated and jagged edges (Heavenly Beginning), terry. The English abbreviation UFO (unusual form) is assigned to a group of these varieties, maybe it will be more convenient for us to call them UFO, there is even some allusion in this - they really look a little fantastic.
However, in 2003 the first two groups were merged into one - actually SPIDERS, so now there are two groups - SPIDERS and UFO.
The coloring and pattern of spiders and UVIs are becoming more and more diverse. The diameter of the flower reaches 25 cm, and in some novelties even 30 and 35 centimeters (Jan's Twister, Long Tall Sally). Many varieties are characterized by long flowering, sometimes flowers last almost 2 days even in hot weather, these varieties are more resistant to drought, which is noted by American lovers.
Many well-known hybridizers in the United States deal with spiders and UVR, but this is not their main line of business. So far, only one Jack Temple from Florida has devoted himself exclusively to this group of daylilies.
IN Lately the most famous American hybridizers (Bob Schwartz, Ken Durio, Dan Trimmer, Patrick Stamile, Mort Morse) are working on getting tetraploid spiders and spider variants. They have already managed to convert many old diploid varieties into tetraploid forms, which will certainly serve as a real breakthrough in the hybridization of spiders and UFOs. After all, thanks to a doubled set of chromosomes, the potential diversity of future hybrids increases many times over. The newest direction is the breeding of terry UFO and (as a result of crossing spiders and terry varieties). Ian Joyner, the creator of the fantastic daylilies Fluttering Beauty, Firefly Frenzy, especially excelled here.
The American Daylily Society has established special awards for the winners of exhibitions for each group - separately for varieties with large flowers, with small ones, with miniature ones, with terry ones. Spiders and UFOs are judged separately.
As for the use of such daylilies in garden design, then here it is necessary to take into account the unusual outlines of their flowers. In addition, in most varieties they are very large. Such extravagant plants are used to create a "tropical effect". Their huge flowers resemble some kind of exotic plants, especially against the backdrop of large hosta foliage. You can plant spiders as tapeworms or in small uniform groups.
Spider daylilies get their name from their narrow, curved petals. They, like all daylilies, are not whimsical in care, but they look really original.
Spider daylilies easily tolerate rain, their petals do not cling to each other. And even wet weather cannot prevent them from opening up. The buds do not rot. By planting this variety of daylily, you will notice very bright and pure colors, and a graphic form.
Interestingly, the daylily, which was first called "spider", was bred back in 1940. But it did not attract attention even among those who are true admirers of daylilies in general. At that time, none of the breeders took up the extraction of the required number of interesting varieties from them.
But over time, a breeder was found who introduced spider daylilies to the public with bright and pure colors, large in size. With long and abundant flowering.
The best varieties of spider daylilies
One of the first bred varieties. The fully unfolded petals are 26.5 cm in diameter. But since they are twisted, the size seems much smaller. Each flower blooms for 2 days. On the first day, its color is as saturated as possible. Varies from greenish yellow to yellow. By the second day, only the middle remains yellow, but the edges acquire white shade. If the summer suddenly turns out to be too hot, then the flower, as a rule, still does not completely turn white, but retains this harmonious combination of colors. The height of the bush is 90 cm. The buds on the peduncle are 15.
Radioactive Kelz- a variety with very twisted petals. Peduncles 3, sometimes 4. Each of them has 24 buds. Blooms profusely.
Heavenly Angel Ice- a white variety of daylily. It was bred a very long time ago, but even to today does not lose its relevance. Blooms until frost. Each peduncle has 5 branches of 27 buds. As a result, one peduncle can produce more than 100 flowers.
Heavenly Energizer- variety with pink big flowers. Unfolded, their size is 24 cm. It blooms for a long time. On each peduncle - 20-24 buds.
Heavenly Free Spirit will sparkle in your garden with bright sunny colors. Blooms for a long time too. The size of the flowers is 20 cm. There are many cultivations of flowers in yellow color, but all are too similar to each other.
At Speeder Miracle very twisted petals.
Gold Elefan T - yellow variety giant. Their size is more than 25 cm. Petals with a thin border.
With peduncles that are head and shoulders above all other representatives.
Velvet Ribbons with a spread of petals of 30 cm. Its height is 110 cm. The middle is yellow. And the edges are a noble dark purple color.
Bali Watercolor with flowers, 25 cm in diameter. Color - lavender-cherry with a dark green throat. These flowers fill the garden with a delicate fragrance.
Black Arrowhead with a bush, 75 cm high. The plant is semi-evergreen. The flowers are large, 19 cm in diameter. The color is burgundy with a slight coffee tint. The throat is yellow-green. There is a white stripe along the central line of the petals.
Black Plush with a bush height of 100 cm, diameter of flowers - 13 cm. Flowers are velvet, red-black. Along the petals - a light strip. Throat is yellow. At dusk, this flower is almost black. Flowering is plentiful until autumn.
- purple with white rings. The throat is greenish-yellow.
Jesters Lement- big flower. Color is dark lavender. The throat is yellow-green.
Jeans Twister- a huge peach flower. The throat is large and green.
Like Norman- rose red. The center is creamy green.
Lafin Skies- variety, 95 cm high. Flowers diameter - 20 cm. Delicate lavender hue with a green center.
Lady Fingeres with a bush height of 80 cm. The diameter of the flower is 20 cm. The color of the flowers is yellow-green. The petals are unusually narrow, twisted.
Orchid Corsage- light purple daylilies with a dark purple center. The flowers are hybrid.
Open Harz with an unusual spatulate shape. Color - red. Halo - ruby. Throat is green.
Primal Scrim- hot flowers orange color. This is one of the brightest spiders.
Red Rain bright cherry red color. The ring is of the same rich shade. The throat is yellow-green.
Grape purple.
Selma Long- tangerine color. The throat is somewhat darker, orange in color.
Sister- bright daylily yellow color with wide petals.
Spirit of Sapelo- lavender shade with a pleasant yellow center. The throat is wide.
El Glorioso- a large red-crimson spider with a yellow throat. The veins stand out brightly. The fragrance is very light and spreads throughout the garden.
Eplike lilac color. Center is yellow. The shape is tetraploid. Diameter - 25 cm. Bush height - 70 cm.
- fragrant flower. Its shape is triangular purple hue. Throat is green.
Daylily planting rules
- Dig a spacious hole that is slightly larger than the root system of the flower itself.
- Make a mound in the center of the hole and place the plant on top of it. Distribute the roots carefully.
- Make sure that the root neck of the daylily is not more than a couple of centimeters below ground level.
- Sprinkle the root with fertile soil. Fill all the space so that there are no air cavities.
- After the flower is planted, water it abundantly.
Spider daylilies look good especially against the background of the host. Spiders are planted in the same way as tapeworms and in small homogeneous groups.
General rules of care
Watering should not be too frequent. It is enough to water them once or twice a week. Daylilies favorably relate to various fertilizers. In order for the fertilizer you use to bring only benefits, it is advisable to study the shortcomings of your soil well. And based on this knowledge, select top dressing. Important components are divided into mineral and non-mineral. Non-mineral: whirlpool, oxygen, and carbon. All of these nutrients are found in the air and water. Their normal content is controlled by nature itself.
Minerals, on the other hand, include macronutrients - nitrogen and potassium, for example, which are especially needed by plants. And trace elements that contribute to normal development and growth - Boron, Copper, Iron, Chlorine and Manganese.
Main pests
Thrips can occur at a temperature of 10-12 ºC. They suck the juice from the leaves, stems and petals. If thrips have taken over your flower, dig up that bush and burn it. For the purpose of prevention, treat the ground around daylilies with insecticides in spring and autumn.
The lilac mosquito lays its larvae in the flower itself. After the larvae germinate, they feed on them. And over time, the flower deforms. If you notice them on one flower, just remove it.
If slugs appeared on the flowers, then they will only have to be removed manually.
Rust on your daylilies can occur if there is a patricia growing nearby. Therefore, in no case do not plant these plants together. For prevention, it is enough to treat the flowers with fungicides.
March 2013
Daylilies are a very diverse, diverse culture in terms of flower forms. Probably, for our difficult Russian climate, there are no more flowering plants, which could boast such a many-sided variety of geometric flower configurations. But among the huge variety of varieties, it is rather difficult to find varieties that, in terms of their parameters, can be attributed to the group of spiders.
What are spiders? According to the classification of daylilies developed by the American Hemerocallis Society (AHS), since 2003, the SPIDERS group includes narrow-leafed cultivars with a strict geometric ratio of petal length to its width. This proportion should go from a ratio of 4:1 and above towards a decrease in the width of the petal. Previously, until 2003, there was a division into a spider version (4: 1 - 4.99: 1) and a spider (from 5: 1 and above). The narrower the width of the petals, the higher the spider is quoted. Therefore, spiders with a petal ratio of 5:1 and above have been assigned the name CLASSIC SPIDER. But there are very, very few "narrow" spiders in their total mass. The vast majority of long-leaved cultivars do not reach the cherished "classic" ratio in any way and, therefore, the following names have been assigned to the "long-leaf" varieties with a ratio of 4:1 to 4.99:1: SPIDER VARIANT, NON-CLASSICAL SPIDER, MODERN SPIDER, SPIDER-LIKE. Currently, all cultivars with a ratio of 4:1 or more are called SPIDERS.
All flower segments of spiders: 3 inner petals (PETALs) and 3 outer petals (SEPALs), leaving the neck, should not overlap. By themselves, they can be plain, pleated, twisted, curled, pinched, or pinched. Also, sometimes quite exotic terry spiders are found VERY, VERY RARE. As an example, we can cite the following, unrealistic in terms of imagination, terry varieties of spiders:
If we talk about the development of hybridization work with spiders, then several progressive waves can be traced. The first wave began in the early 1920s and continued until the mid-1960s and is associated primarily with the name LeMoine Bechtolda, a successful businessman by profession and a prolific hybridizer of flowers (peonies, lilies, bearded irises, and then daylilies) as a hobby in their free time. And in total, he has 77, mostly yellow daylily cultivars. However, in the last years of his life (and he died in 1963, if anyone does not know), he was already registering pink spiders and one of his last varieties was the pink "Silver Rose", introduced in 1960. And after the spiders, starting in 1989, began to be awarded annual awards, it was his beautiful yellow spider of the "classic" (7.7: 1) sample "Kindly Light" of the 1950th year of registration that won the first highest award in the history of daylilies for spiders. Also, this first period of interest in "ascetic" varieties of daylilies is directly related to the names of such wonderful hybridizers as Cheetham, Frank Child, Connell, Craig, Douglas, Hardy, Lake, Russell, Schroer, Wheeler. It is believed that most of the outstanding spiders were hybridized in the 40-50s of the last century.
The second period of "appeal" to spiders began in the mid-70s and lasted until the early 90s of the last century. This period is associated with such famous hybridizers as Nell Crandall, Jerry Dickerson, Ben Hager, Howard Hite, Inez Tarrant, Jack Temple, Rosemary Whitacre and with many other names that have by now become world legends in the field of spider hybridization.
In my collection of varieties of the authors of the second wave, there are several varieties of Jacka Templa - the famous hybridizer from the state of Florida. The author is southern, the 8th zone, and the varieties, respectively, are southern. But they do well in my garden. All varieties are large-flowered, very bright, explosive. The varieties are as follows:
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DE COLORES " 1992 Classic Spider - 6:1 |
MARKED BY LYDIA " 1994 Classic Spider - 5.31:1 |
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RAINBOW SPANGLES " 1983 Classic Spider - 4.40:1 |
WILDEST DREAMS " 1993 Classic Spider - 6.8:1 |
Interest in strictly narrow-leaved varieties at this time was so great that in 1987, a friend of the famous Michigan hybridizer Howarda Hite (by the way, at that time Hite was buying up all registered spider cultivars) Harris Olson, a big fan of this group of daylilies, asked Betty Roberts, who was in charge work to award daylily cultivars in various categories, establish an annual spider award and name it after him. This was positively received from her side and with great understanding. And in the second year after his request - in 1989 - this HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD was officially established, which is awarded to both classic spider varieties and spider variants or just spiders.
Below I have listed all the spider strains that have won this wonderful award since its inception. Most of the "lucky ones" belong, not surprisingly, to the group of non-classical spiders. Many of the winning varieties grow in my garden and many of them perform well in terms of growth and annual flowering. A number of varieties have only recently appeared in my collection and, of course, they have not yet been fully tested.
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1989KINDLY LIGHT(LeMoine Bechtold 1950) Classic Spider - 7.7:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1990LADY FINGERS(Virginia Peck 1967) Spider variant - 4.8:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1991CAT'S CRADLE(Ben Hager 1985) Classic Spider - 5.8:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1992RED RIBBONS(George Lenington 1964) Spider variant - 4.7:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1993MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE(Jack Temple 1988) Spider variant - 4.8:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1994WILSON SPIDER(Nancy Oakes 1987) Spider variant - 4.6:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1995LOIS BURNS(Jack Temple 1986) Spider variant - 4:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1996GREEN WIDOW(Jack Temple 1980) Spider variant - 4.1:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1997YABBA DABBA DOO(Ra Hansen 1993) Spider variant - 4.35:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1998DE COLORES(Jack Temple 1992) Classic Spider - 6.0:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 1999CHEVRON SPIDER(Ra Hansen 1992) Spider variant - 4.17:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2000MARKED BY LYDIA(Jack Temple 1994) Classic Spider - 5.31:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2001LACY MARIONETTE(Inez Tarrant 1987) Classic Spider - 5.1:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2002CURLY CINNAMON WINDMILL(Clarence Crochet 1997) Classic Spider - 5.2:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2003LONG STOCKING(Patrick Stamile 1997) Spider variant - 4:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2004SKINWALKER(Ned Roberts 1997) Classic Spider - 5.2:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2005MAGIC OF OZ(Heather Herrington 1995) Spider variant - 4:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2006HOLLY DANCER(Dotty Warrell 1988) Spider variant - 4.25:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2007LONG TALL SALLY(Daniel Trimmer 1996) Spider variant - 4.13:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2008MEMORIES OF OZ(Katisue Herrington 2001) Spider variant - 4.17:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2009BALI WATERCOLOR(Patrick Stamile 2002) Spider variant - 4.36:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2010VELVET RIBBONS(Patrick Stamile 2002) Spider variant - 4.67:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2011FREE WHEELIN(Patrick Stamile 2004) Spider variant - 4.69:1 |
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HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD 2012SUZY CREAM CHEESE(Daniel Bachman 2001) Spider variant - 4:1 |
In 2009, a very beautiful, pink-flowered variety, Neda Robertsa SKINWALKER, winner of the 2004 HARRIS OLSON SPIDER AWARD, won the STOUT SILVER MEDAL, the highest award for daylilies in 2009, which once again confirms the growing interest of US daylily breeders in spiders and, in general, in narrow unusual daylily flower shapes.
Speaking of the modern day, there is currently a 3rd period of INCREASED interest in this amazing group of daylilies. When did he wake up, you may ask? That, most likely, on a large scale since the beginning of this century. But, to be more precise, he smoothly moved from the 2nd, successfully bypassing the rest period. During this time, many amazingly beautiful spiders have appeared, and the number of very talented hybridizers who work with them has grown significantly. Varieties have become more luxurious, twisted: their color palette has expanded, unusual color combinations, new unusual appliqué eye designs, edges of flower segments are edged in eye color or doubled (plus outer gold or white border), some cultivars have scalloped edges. That is, the progress of the evolutionary development of spiders is obvious.
The modern leaders in spider hybridization are the following breeders:
DANIEL BACHMAN works with diploid varieties. To date, he has about 100 beautiful unusual shapes and spiders. The author is very interesting and deserves more attention among our collectors. Its varieties are tested by little snowy Ohio winters. Nursery VALLEY OF THE DAYLILIES (http://www.northernmecca.com/id10.htm).
Clayton Burkey belongs to the galaxy of hybridizers, whose hybridization path dates back to the end of the 80s of the last century (since 1986). The author is well-known and titled. Specializing in diploid varieties. Its varieties are tested in the cold mountain winter climate of Pennsylvania. ALSO VERY LOVES BIRDS AND, IN ADDITION TO DAYLILY BUSINESS, ALSO BREEDS CANARY. HICKORY HILL GARDENS DAYLILIES kennel (pidsweb.org/ClaytonBurkey/)
BRET CLEMENT works with diploid varieties. One of the most interesting and promising contemporary authors with great potential. My favourite. There are quite a lot of very beautiful unusual forms in his luggage. Its varieties have been tested by the harsh Indian winters with little snow. Nursery CLEMENTS GARDENS (www.clementgarden.com).
GERALDINE COUTURIER began her stellar daylily career with a 1990 introduction. The famous author of diploid unusual forms and spiders. So far, its last introduction falls on 2006. RECOGNIZED EXPERT ON SPIDERS AND UNUSUAL SHAPES. DELANO DAYLILIES cattery (www.delanodaylilies.com).
JAMES GOSSARD works with both diploid and tetraploid spiders and unusual shapes. One of the brightest modern world leaders in this hybridization direction. Owner of the Ohio nursery HEAVENLY GARDENS (www.daylilynet.com). He has about 500 varieties on his account for 13 years of fruitful work, since 2000. NORTHERN KING AND BOLD POINT. WITHOUT ANY COMMENTS. MODERN WALKING GENIUS ON SPIDERS AND UNUSUAL FORMS. And his wife works with terry varieties.
LINDA MICHAELS works with diploids. One of the most rapidly progressing modern "diploid" hybridizers in this direction. Cattery DAREDEVIL DAYLILIIES (www.daredevildaylily.com).
JIM MURPHY works with diploid spiders and unusual forms. One of the best modern authors of diploid unusual forms. Owner of the Virginian nursery WOODHENGE GARDENS (www.woodhengegardens.com).
MARGO REED works with diploids. THE QUEEN OF SPIDERS AND INCREDIBLE SHAPES WITHOUT ANY COMMENTS. Companion to Jima Murphy. Nursery WOODHENGE GARDENS (www.woodhengegardens.com).
BILL & JOYCE REINKE began their daylily journey in the early 1990s. They are the authors of wonderful diploid spider varieties and unusual forms, SOME OF WHICH GROW GREATLY AND FLOWER ANNUALLY IN MY GARDEN. Their last intros are from 2006. Nursery STEPHENS LANE GARDENS (http://daylily.net/gardens/stephenslane.htm)
NED ROBERTS worked with diploids. Its heyday came in the 1990s and 2000s. Died in 2006. KING OF SPIDERS AND UNUSUAL SHAPES. For his abnormal passion for narrow-petalled daylilies, he received the nickname "SPIDERMAN". His last intros are in 2009. He himself lived in the state of Colorado, and in the 2000s his varieties were introduced through the Florida nursery LADYBUG DAYLILIES (www.ladybugdaylilies.com).
ELIZABETH SHOOTER works with diploids. One of the brightest and most prolific modern authors on spiders and unusual shapes. If you want to see her creations, you will want to visit the MARIETTA GARDENS cattery website. In general, SHOOTERs is a family business, but among the family trio LIZ is the Chinese leader MAO. Their daylily collection is one of the largest and finest in the US (www.mariettagardens.com).
PATRIC STAMILE hybridized tetraploid varieties of spiders and unusual forms until his "retirement". His varieties are among the best. His last "Uzyashek" intros were in 2010. Founder of the world-famous and, perhaps, the best Florida daylily nursery FLOYD COVE NURSERY (www.distinctly.on.ca/floydcove). At present, you can find the legendary daylily married couple (and, perhaps, the best and most productive in the history of daylily breeding) in the endless steppe expanses of California.
A little more than 100 spiders of different eras and authors grow in my garden, and I, of course, am not going to stop there. Many varieties have already been tested by time for winter hardiness and abundance of flowering in a rather meager climate near Moscow. Below I want to dwell on the varieties that have proven themselves well in my garden:
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Annabelle's Ghost(Reinkes 1995). Spider variant - 4:1. Lavender. |
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APRON STRINGS(Ward 1993). Spider variant - 4:1. Light purple with a pink eye. |
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BLACK ARROWHEAD(Ned Roberts 2002). Spider variant - 4.11:1. A light lilac purple with a dark purple eye. |
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BLACK PLUSH(Connell 1955). Spider variant - 4.6:1. Red - black |
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BROOKLYN TWIST(Ludlow Lambertson 1998). Classic Spider - 5:1. Violet - red. |
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BUSTER RUSTER(Ned Roberts 2007). Spider variant - 4.15:1. Violet - green with white trim |
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DE COLORES(Jack Temple 1992). Classic Spider - 6:1. Pink - mustard - yellow with a red - purple eye. |
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DIAMONDS AND RINGLETS(Ned Roberts 2008). Classic Spider - 5.33:1. Chestnut. |
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DIXIE ROOSTER(Ned Roberts 2003). Spider variant - 4.5:1. wine purple |
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