I bought this daylily this year from a flower catalog that doesn't specialize in daylilies.
They advertised it as Longfield's Twins but as you can see it doesn't look anything like it at all. It isn't blooming today so I can't give you the exact flower size but I think it is around 4 inches. I can tell you that the flowers are nocturnal and have an extended bloom. Any idea what it could be? I bought this before I discovered this website and all the great places I can order daylilies from!

It could be about anything... Including an unregistered seedling. If they don't specialize, there is also a good chance it is tissue cultured, if it is a named variety. My experience with TC has been that the colors, and plant habits don't match field grown divisions that were never TC'd. Maybe some do, but not the ones I have grown. I grew both at the same time to compare.

Personally, I don't think there is any way to really know what a no ID is, you are only guessing. IF it was really super distinctive, then maybe... But even then it is a guess.

Why do people tissue culture fast growing plants like daylilies? Especially if they don't come true to form? I guess the obvious answer is money but I would think that would be a one shot deal. I personally will never buy another daylily from anywhere other than a daylily farm or a breeder. I didn't spend a lot of money for my daylily so it's no great loss to me (I actually find the flower pretty) but some daylilies are very pricey. They should have some sort of labeling to let people know what kind of plant they are buying!

They sure should.

It is such a pretty flower but I like you would want to know what I was getting as it is so hard to ID the ones that are labeled wrong. When I first fell in love with daylilies I bought anything and I bought from anywhere, I bought 2 daylilies from Lowe's Garden center that were labeled wrong and nothing like the picture on the label so I started to try and find other sources. Visiting a Daylily farm in June is one of the most fun things you can do if you can locate one reasonably close to your location. Daylilies are still blooming in some areas now Line your pockets well and bring a bucket because you will not leave without buying some.

Theresa, you are correct! Nothing beats a fresh dug, "field" grown division that you bring right home and plant. I think they do the best!

Well, if you consider some of the big catalogs that sell a LOT of plants (not just daylilies) -- plus the suppliers to the "big box stores" and nurseries nationwide - they would need thousands and thousands of divisions of a given daylily. It would take years to get that many, and a lot of man hours to dig and divide, replant, dig, divide, replant -- but with the technology now to do tissue cultured daylilies they can make a lot of slips quickly which can be up potted and sold in very little time compared to doing it the "old fashioned way"...

and the "average home gardener" never would know the difference. Or, for that matter, care.

I once heard about a field of more than 10 acres of rows of a certain popular daylily that had been TC'd, then planted out to increase "more naturally." Think how long it would take to get several acres a daylily if you started from a few double fans.

For some daylilies, now, they have been TC'd and sold at nurseries so much, it's hard to know which ones you buy, even at daylily sellers have been TC'd. Even the daylily nursery may have bought theirs at Lowe's, instead of from the original hybridizer.

Thanks for the education everyone! The first time I bought daylilies it was at a daylily farm when I lived in NC. I loved it. But since I moved back to NYC I couldn't find anyplace close by that grows their daylilies. But since finding this site I've started ordering from some of the places recommended here. I'm expecting 2 orders in September. One is from Maryotts & the other from Olallie. I can't wait!

How far are you from Long Island? They have a very active Daylily Society (club) -- you should be able to buy plants from club meetings and auctions - as well as directly from club members.

http://www.lidaylily.org/switc...

Ohh BX - don't hold back, what did you order? Inquiring minds want to know! I love both of those sources! ~Jan

I bought Choral Fantasy, Exotic Design, Fiji, Monkey Giggles, Texas Blue Eyes, Wild Cherry Round Up & Purple Maze from Maryotts. I also wanted more late bloomers so I bought Rajastan Sands, Type Alpha, Watermelon Summer, Sandra Elizabeth, Hurricane Eduard, A Ripe Peach, Butterscotch Harvest, Pastel Rainbow & Lime Lighter from Olallie. I have absolutely no room for any of these so I'm going to have to build a raised bed for them before they arrive in September! I'm also being cautious and not buying anything expensive until I get a better feel for what does well in NY. My first daylilies were all from NC & some did great but others don't seem to like it here. It also seems to be taking 3 years for them to really settle in. Growing daylilies was a lot easier in NC!