Below is the description of the winter growth of a number of daylily cultivars at Gainesville.
"Of the 134 clones listed in the accompanying table, it is seen that 22 are designated as "F". These daylilies are fully evergreen and are characterized by excellent foliage masses which are of great merit in our winter gardens. The 18 varieties classed as "G" make a good winter show but the leaf masses are not quite as heavy and robust perhaps as in those of the foregoing group. The plants marked "H" and "I" are variable and these classifications should not be considered indisputable as there will be some overlapping. Some of these sorts have very short periods of dormancy while others recover and produce low, sparse leaf masses after several weeks. None of these furnishes winter-long mounds of evergreen foliage."
The particular cultivars are not important as most probably are no longer available. What is important is the description of the foliage during winter. The goal for winter display was/is "heavy and robust" "winter-long mounds of evergreen foliage" .
There are two extreme ways that goal can be achieved. One way is for a plant to produce the mound of leaves just before winter or early in winter and the leaves survive all winter. There would be no new baby leaves produced in the centre of the daylily fans during winter. The daylily would be "evergreen". The other extreme is for a plant to produce new leaves all winter while the oldest leaves die away one by one. New baby leaves would be repeatedly produced in the centre of the fans and they would mature to normal lengths. The daylily would be "evergreen" and "ever-growing".
Has anyone observed "evergreen" daylilies growing during winter in mild winter climate locations and identified some cultivars of each type?
