Why not buy at Home Depot or Walmart?

15 years ago

I received as a gift 4 daylilies last year and loved them, and want to get more. I've been researching online, and am blown away by all the daylily activity there is out there! Auctions and whole websites and forums and thousands and thousands of varieties.... where to start??!!

I have seen in several places that it's not good to get daylilies at the big box stores because they might be "DH" or something like that. Is there a reason to get lilies from particular nurseries? Where can I find out which places are the right ones? I'm overwhelmed!

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Comments (17)

Julia WV (6b)
15 years ago
Big box stores are 'suppose' to offer tissue cultured plants. I don't know if that true or not but that is the rumor.

Some people prefer to deal directly with the hybridizer or deal with a seller of daylilies who they can trust.

You can start by going to the AHS website and view the source list (link is below). Many well known growers who are reliable and probably many in your own area.

Good luck. It makes my head spin too thinking about all the possible places I could spend my $$'s.

Julia

Here is a link that might be useful: AHS source list
agertz
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for responding, Julia.

I have now learned what "tissue cultured" means, and I have found one grower in Seattle - Living Art Gardens, and one in CA - Maryotts - that I think might be the two closest. I live on the Columbia River about an hour east of Portland OR.
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Ed
15 years ago
Maryotts is especially good.
Ed
katlynn719
15 years ago
agertz, There was a thread here, not too long ago, about our favorite places to buy daylilies. I'll post a link. I agree with Ed...Maryotts is one of the best. Last year I had good luck with Earlybird Daylilies and Iris. And I also like blueridgebuttons and nrb44 on Ebay.
Have fun!
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Here is a link that might be useful: Your favorite Daylily Vendors
gonegardening
15 years ago
There is a seller on the LA, Tragar, who sometimes posts here...I believe that he is Rogers Gardens in Springfield, OR. (I hope he won't mind my mentioning him/this)

I have bought several times from him and his plants are great! I've also bought seeds...and he's posted some beautiful pictures of his seedlings on here from time to time.

I love Portland! What a beautiful area! I'm thinking there's another seller in Oregon that maybe others will remember...seems like she's now into just selling her own daylilies vs the selling of others'.

Good luck and happy hunting!
pamghatten
15 years ago
I think, personally, that you should support your local dayliliy growers. Not the big box stores that really put little care into their plants. Your local grower usually puts their heart and soul into their business, and treats their plants and customers very well.

Big box stores are also not vigilant about pests and diseases. My agriculture inspector told me he pointed out rust to one of the workers in a big box store, on daylilies, and the worker just shrugged. The Ag Inspector had to request to speak to a manager, and still wasn't sure if tehy were going to pull the daylilies.

Support your local business people! I'm off my soapbox now! :>)
can_mj
15 years ago
I don't know my way around Oregon but there are several gardens that sell daylilies listed on Charlotte's site.

Just scroll down through the list watching for the 'OR' and pick the place that's closest to go visit this summer. You may go home with a car load. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Charlotte's Daylily Diary
can_mj
15 years ago
I don't know my way around Oregon but there are several gardens that sell daylilies listed on Charlotte's site.

Just scroll down through the list watching for the 'OR' and pick the place that's closest to go visit this summer. You may go home with a car load. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Charlotte's Daylily Diary
bderm1234
15 years ago
The other disadvantage to buying from a big box store is that you may not get what is pictured on the pot. If the plant isn't in bloom, you may get anything. The labels can get moved. And most of their plants are tissue cultured to get lots of the same plants. Some tissue culture plants are not carefully screened--some tissue culture plants are not identical to the original--if they market them before they bloom, the tissue culture plant may not look like the original. If the tissue culture growers bloom the babies before marketing and cull out the ones that aren't "right", there shouldn't be a problem.
Beth
bambi_too
15 years ago
Not everything at the boxes is Tissue Cultured, many of the plants they offer have been around long enough to have lots of it available. Generally though if it is imported and in a bag or a box, it is probably TCd. I think the ones in pots are feld grown. I saw STRUTTERS BALL, SOUTH SEAS and CCHICAGO APACHE at a box store last year, and they were identical to the plants I have here.
Cindy zone 6a
15 years ago
I agree that some of the oldies that are in pots will be OK. I have found Lowes to be OK with the daylilies, but what I do is wait until the very end of the season and they are just about giving them away. I picked up a nice South Seas that way, I think I paid around $1.50 for it. Of course, they don't have much selection. I won't even look at Wal Mart. But there is something to planting unknowns and see what you get. I fully agree to go to a display garden. The experience alone is worth it. Also, the experience of opening up a box from someone like Maryotts, is better than Christmas!!! Right?
Cindy
bambi_too
15 years ago
That is where I saw them, it was Lowes. Home Depot, just does not get anything nice. I bought what was supposed to be a purple Munson there a couple of years ago and it turned out to be something totally different. I agree seeing them in bloom there is a must.
mareas
15 years ago
Agertz, you live in an area that has several really good hybridizers!! Here is a link to the Columbia River Daylily Club, which is full of friendly & knowledgeable people!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Columbia River Daylily Club
berrytea4me
15 years ago
What ever you do, don't buy them when they are in the bags. I bought some at Wal-Mart. Took them right home to plant and found they were all from last season and were rotted. I immediately took them back & they did refund me for those.

Another time I bought dl in the bags early in the season so they were for sure fresh but when they bloomed they weren't the one's pictured on the box. Of course by the time they bloom it's past the return policy so you are SOL.
random_harvest
15 years ago
Several years ago I bought a four-inch pot with a pleasant little lavender-pink flower from Home Depot for $1 that was actually labeled "Mystery Pink." It turned out to be what I'm pretty sure is LITTLE WART and it's a blooming fool.
suel41452
15 years ago
I would only buy at Home Depot or Walmart if the plants are in bloom and you like the way they look. I got Stella Supreme at Home Depot, and I really like them.
Cindi_KS
15 years ago
Actually, many of the online daylily sellers have plants in the $4-$6 range, which is cheaper than what you pay at the box stores. Growers will ship you better plants, positively identified and disease free. A local grower might even dig the plant for you while you wait, and it doesn't get much fresher than that!
The bare root plants that Bill Maryott sends are so huge they wouldn't even fit in the "gallon" pots seen in stores. Late season bargains in the stores are usually abused plants requiring care from an experienced gardener to thrive. A plant from a reputable grower will be 3x the size, give you more divisions sooner, and therefore save you much money.
My favorites are Maryott, Marietta, Aren't I Pretty, Earlybird. I totally agree with the others about buying close to home, as what grows for them should grow for you.
Welcome to the obsession.
Cindi

Why not buy at Home Depot or Walmart?

Comments (17)

Julia WV (6b)

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Why not buy at Home Depot or Walmart?

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agertzOriginal Author

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agertz
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