Interesting to read how many different issues people are having in their gardens with Larry's Obsession... especially the gardener in zone 6 who thought it needs a 'warmer' climate. I have been growing it for five years in zone 3.
And yes, the bloom is actually darker than it shows in the photo (taken in the afternoon, in the sun - after a rain shower passed through). It's planted with Phlox Barfourteen 'Flame Purple' and yellow foxgloves, and wow! Does that show off in the gardens!
That said, yes - the bud count is around 15, so there are a lot of daylilies out there that might give you more bang for the buck. But it's just so very gorgeous when it does bloom...
For me, that's roughly at mid-summer, and in my cold climate I have never seen it rebloom in any year. And yes - I've had a couple of buds that have hung up, not opened perfectly.
To me, every plant in the gardens is perfect, each in its own way. I can forgive / excuse an imperfection so long as it not 'always' - if Larry's Obsession failed to flower at all, or consistently the buds did not open, I would have to remove it.
But just because something is gorgeous 95% of the time... not 2000% of the time... is not a reason for me to discard it. I'll keep it in the gardens just for the days when... on that particular day... it's the most beautiful flower in the gardens.
