Those prices are too high. I would pay $100 or so for a daylily but not for a 2004 introduction. Ledgewood Gardens has Jane Mahan for $100 for a double fan, which is more realistic.

Edward

Do a google search on each of these daylilies you may find a lower price than at the site you posted. It is up to each person how much they are willing to spend on a daylily set your limit and stick to that price. There are lots of resonable priced daylilies available.

New introductions are usually expensive if you are willing to wait several years the price on many come down. There is a lot of work, expense and time (years) involved in creating new cultivars. To give you an idea whats involved first the big hybridizers make thousands of crosses of which not all of them take (make seeds) depending on the weather. They keep records on each cross then they harvest the seeds. They then germinate and plant thousands of seeds when the seedlings grow and bloom they must select only a few of the very best and watch the results for around two years before making final selections. Meanwhile those seedlings must be kept weedfree, fertilized and watered amoung other things before they can even register them for introduction.

I have visited one of the well known hybridizers place it is overwhelming everything that is involved not to mention the land they need to work on such a large scale plus a good number of them use large greenhouses.

I love looking at new introductions and sometimes after a number of years when I know if the plant does well in my climate I may consider purchasing it when the price drops somewhat to fit in my budget. Plenty of folks can afford and want to purchase new intros that is their personal choice.

I understand that there is a lot of work involved in hybridizing but it just seems a little silly to me to spend that much money... that's just me though, I'm CHEAP! Especially when it comes to plants... I also understand that some of these plants might be worth that much to someone who's really into gardening and I'd never put someone else down or say anything negative about anyone for doing what they want to with their money... but as a personal choice I think that spending more than 50 for something that might or might not do well is not a good decision.

What I'm trying to say I suppose is that everyone is entitled to spend their money any way that they choose... and I'd never judge them for that, I'm not that way... but for me it's wayyyyy too much money that could be better utilized elsewhere.

Sorry if I insulted anyone... I guess I was just shocked and reacted right away instead of thinking about it first! ;-))

ttfn
Mystic.

I don't think you insulted anyone. We daylily addicts love our addiction, and believe me you can fall into the trap really quick! I started out 10 years ago with just a few from Lowe's fall clearance rack. The next year I heard of a wonderful thing, people actually grow daylilies to sell and to show and they have "open house day". My DH and I drove over 90 miles to one of these gardens. Instead of just the old ones that I had found a Lowe's, here was huge reds, yellows that had black eyes and OH ME!!! a yellow that had a huge black eye and edge!

I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. I quickly checked the catalog list that I was given when we arrived and this wonderful daylily sold for $150 and this was 1999. I'd never seen nor heard of a plant that sold for that much money!!!

After seeing all the beautiful reds, pinks, cranberry, yellow, near whites, and all the colors in the rainbow, I was HOOKED!! Addicted!!! IN JUST ONE DAY!! I knew then that I would one day have that daylily that was selling for $150. I don't remember the name, but I do now have many with the big black edge and eye. I didn't give nearly that much, maybe $25 but I did have to wait 5 or 6 years to get what I wanted.

I'm guilty of having paid $170 for 2 fans of an unknown seedling. I'm gambling that it will be a winner. It could be a new into or it could be tossed on the compost pile. Following that, I've paid between $2 to $100 on over 100 varieties of daylilies. I'm pretty happy with what I have now. The "I gotta have it" stage of my addiction is over, mostly! I still see one or 2 a year that really cause my heart to race, but my money now goes on potting soil, compost, fertilizer and mulch. I hybridize daylilies, grow the seeds and pray for a beauty in maybe 2 or 3 years. I also have purchased 100's of seeds to get a jump on some of the really expensive daylilies. I've paid as much as $5 per seed. I've seen seed sell for over $20 for 1 seed on the Lily Auction. I forget just how much some did go for last year.

So, yes, we can be very silly! But, we really do have fun doing it, after all the hard work is done!

If you don't want to join us in this addiction, then don't visit this web site:

I'm open to all opinions! I think that's what makes us all interesting. So don't be afraid to speak up. Have fun. Be Blessed and join in the fun, Mona

Here is a link that might be useful: The Lily Auction

Oh I've seen your posts about other's "RED" lilies Mona! ;-)) I know that your obsession will never be satiated!! LOL... but hey, as long as you enjoy what you do then GO FOR IT!!! :-D

If I had more money and owned the land we currently live on I would have the WHOLE 6 ACRES blooming with various plants I'm sure... I love growing things too and as a child I messed around a little with hybridizing myself... nothing serious mind you but I saw two tulips that I loved the color of and at the time I was learning about genetics in science class.. I actually was able to see my results the next spring after I babied the seeds/seedlings in the house after the parents had died off... it was an interesting experience that I've never forgotten... and that was well over 20 years ago! So I can understand how gardening of any type can become addicting.

BTW, Thanks for being a tease... you just HAD to link that site didn't you?!? :-P I see how you are!! LOLOLOLOL

ttfn
Mystic.

I asked a similar question last week and the responses were that people spend a lot of money usually because they plant on hybridizing it.

I was just thinking about it today because there is one I want but it is $50 and I don't spend more than $10 on a daylily. I can't buy it, but I can understand why it is so much. Think about it... many many shrubs sell for $50 and what do you get for it? A green shrub. But, many people are willing to spend it on a shrub rather than on a perennial. Why? Because it's bigger and usually serves a boring purpose (ie. to hide something, to use as a back border, etc..) whereas, I won't buy a daylily for that much even though it would give me much more pleasure than a boring shrub.

WHY?

Because my husband won't let me. :) LOL

No, really, because we can't afford it and there are just too many to choose from less than that.

I just made a hypocrite out of myself and offerd to purchase a 2004 daylily for $100. In my defense it was for a 9 fan clump. The daylily in question is Tower of Babel (Emmerich 2004).

You know each to their own on how they spend the money they've earned. I too haven't gotten over the prices of some of the new intros. But if you've ever watched Sex and the City then you are familiar with Carries obsession with expensive shoes. Paleeze!!! To me $500.00 for a pair of feet tires is a bigger waste of money then for a plant that will keep on giving and giving and giving.

LOL Edward... that's ok though as it's YOUR money and you can spend it how you see fit. ;-)

You know maryl I'd never thought of it that way... spending more than 20 bucks on a pair of shoes is really silly to me... but I guess if you got it you might as well spend it right?

ttfn
Mystic.

Yep - we all have our "currency". I personally have never spent more than $25 on any perennial (hosta, daylily, etc) but there are some that I sure will keep my eye out for when the price drops a bit.

However, I wouldn't bat an eye at a $5,000 stove. Some people might think that is excessive too ;-)

Hi Mystic,

You are right it is my money. I will be parting with it in August after bloom. I saw the clump today and it was fantastic.

Edward