@mom2cjemma I am always interested in delving deeper into the ancestry and inheritance of a plant.
Earlybird Cardinal is not a registered name, rather it is the trade name for the registered daylily 'Endless Heart'.
'Endless Heart' (Apps-Blew, 2004) height 21 in.(53 cm), bloom 4 in.(10 cm), season E, Rebloom, Evergreen, Diploid, 14 buds, 3 branches, Rosy red self above chartreuse throat. (Apricot Sparkles × Red Hot Returns)
'Stella de Oro' (Jablonski, 1975) height 11 in.(28 cm), bloom 2.75 in.(7 cm), season EM, Rebloom, Dormant, Diploid, Fragrant, Gold self with very small green throat
What might happen if we crossed 'Stella de Oro' with 'Endless Heart'?
We would expect that their seedlings would average scape heights of (21 + 11)/2 = 16 inches. What that basically means is that about half of their seedlings would have scapes less than 16 inches and half would have scapes more than 16 inches. Some of their seedlings would have scapes taller than 21 inches and some would have scapes shorter than 11 inches.
The same sort of analysis would apply to the range of flower sizes that the seedlings from such a cross could have. Half will have flowers less than 3 3/8" and half will have flowers larger. A few will have flowers larger than 4 inches and a few will have flowers smaller than 2 3/4 inches.
We know from work on the pigments in daylily flowers that although a flower may look reddish it usually has both the reddish-purple pigment, cyanidin and the bluish purple pigment delphinidin, So 'Endless Heart' almost certainly can produce reddish and purplish seedlings, especially when paired with an appropriate partner.
In fact if we look at the parentage of 'Endless Heart' we see,
'Red Hot Returns' (Apps, 2000) height 28 in.(71 cm), bloom 5 in.(13 cm), season EM, Rebloom, Semi-Evergreen, Diploid, 20 buds, 2 branches, Red self above yellow to green throat. (Royal Occasion × Pete's Joy)
'Royal Occasion' (Apps, 1990) height 26 in.(66 cm), bloom 4.37 in.(11 cm), season M, Rebloom, Semi-Evergreen, Diploid, Black violet with black eyezone and bright green throat. ((Baby Darling × Bridget) × Super Purple)
'Pete's Joy' (Hansen, 1990) height 22 in.(56 cm), bloom 5.5 in.(14 cm), season EM, Rebloom, Evergreen, Diploid, Cream pink with darker pink center around green throat. ((Our Diane × (Enchanting Blessing × sdlg)) × (Enchanting Blessing × Tuscawilla Princess))
'Endless Heart' has deep purple ancestors so may carry the hidden ability to produce purple seedlings.
Scent perhaps is the more difficult characteristic. Are there very scented diploid daylilies growing nearby?
