Sharon, a lot of this discussion is applicable only to Florida. We have a unique situation down here in that we have 3 distinct growing zones, and maybe 4. When plants are not perfectly suited to the area they are in, they act differently than where they belong. Thus, grassy leaves. Slow growth. Sparse blooms. I KNOW I need Evergreens where I live, but a lot of people want to experiment or deny their zone (and that goes both ways). I don't want to fight with my garden .... I want it to flourish. That means choosing plants that are well suited to this 9a zone where it doesn't frost or freeze. I've lost hundreds of dollars on plants that haven't thrived. Now, I buy on the Daylily Auction, because if some cultivar isn't well suited to my location, I haven't lost a lot of money. Thank god for a understanding husband who has an expensive hobby too--imported sports cars.
Too bad that not all cultivars that are labeled "Evergreen" are Evergreen. If a hybridizer doesn't give parents, it's a crapshoot. Also, not all Semi-evergreens are Semi's either, that's a marketing ploy for many. My hat is off to Fred Waring (Spunky1) here. He really, really tries to differentiate between different classifications.
(Don't you just hate it when a Financial Analysist analyses everthing! Sometimes I can't stop myself!
