Hi Rita, I like the newer ones with the ruffly edges (must be the chicken-fat you are talking about), but...

I don't care for the ones with really high-contrast eye rings. They look like a big ol' bullseye to me.

Jeri in Texas

I like new ones with ruffly edges too. But there are some where its so overdone that I personally think yeck, thats ugly when I see it. I know tastes vary widly which is why I thought it would be fun to see what people have to say about this.

One of mine ive thought about getting rid of is Little grapette. I know, I know everyone likes it. Mine isn't really purple, its kind of a grayish color. Don't get me wrong it blooms alot, but the blooms are so tiny, that I don't even really pay attention to it, and sometimes forget its even there. Plus the scapes on it seem too tall for the flower size, but thats just me. To me a mini should be a shortie.
Another one that I have that I overlook is Nosferatu. It just dosen't keep up with even some of my brand new ones. Not many blooms, slow increase, and it lacks that WOW factor, to me its just another plain purple. I can think of many that I would put in its place! -Jessica

Great topic!

Traits/types I don't like: spiders, large dark purple eyes and mauves.

Specific daylilies I don't like: Sabine Baur (and most others with that color combo), Daring Dilemna, Duke of Durham, Canadian Border Patrol, Awesome Blossom . . .

Amen Sister Juliet!!!

For years STRAWBERRY CANDY was 1st on the popularity poll for region 2 and I could never see why.

Dale

I absolutly love Strawberry Candy and the fact that it is orangey, not clear pink. It is on my never would leave my garden list. This is exactly what I meant by one persons favorite being another persons reject.

Peach/Plum combos like: Admiral's Flagship, Francois Verhaert, Jackie Blue, Daring Delemma

Yellow/Blackish eyes like: Direct HIt, Eyelashes

Orange/Purple-Plum combos like: Halloween Hocus Pocus, Halloween Masquerade

I don't like too many doubles because, as Juliet said... they look messy - almost like the flower exploded or something. There are a few which look lovely, but they seem to be the exception. I do like the hose-in hose varieties.

Most spiders look like they are sickly... there are a few which have caught my eye, but most just look like something went terribly wrong.

Good thing there are SOOO many DL to Love!

Well it is also not all about the bloom. It is the overall plant that you need to consider. I love good branching as it makes the blooms look better. I also think it takes several years before a plant really settles in to WOW you. I know I have had several that really did nothing for me and then about the 2 or 3rd year WOW!!!

But I do not like chicken fat on the heavy side and some the eyes are overdone as well. I love wire rimmed daylilies that seem to have a thin rim of gold around them. Makes them look so elegant. Good example would be Munson's Collector's Choice or King's Cotillion.

I do not like Doubles either because they remind me of wadded up kleenex's that my sons leave laying around..LOL

I can't think of a single one I don't like. I wouldn't spend $25 for a common orange daylily, but when I drive the backroads, I love seeing them blooming with the queen ann's lace and chickery along fence rows and at old homesteads. I'm really glad they are there. I wouldn't buy a spider or one with dark eyes but I like seeing other peoples. Variety is great!

Great topic!

I happen to LOVE Strawberry Candy! Now mine happens to be pinkish, not orangish.

I don't care for reds much at all, unless they have a bluish hue, like 'Red Volunteer'.

I do NOT like mini's, because you almost have to get down on your hands and knees to appreciate them.

Spiders, I'm going to have to learn to like, because I just planted a bunch of them this year!

Julie

It is interesting to see what people like/dislike. I know for myself that my tastes change...and keep changing! I like things that a few years ago I didn't and vice versa.

As dayliliesrus said, it can take a few years for some to settle in...and then you are so glad you didn't banish them! I think most daylilies can be stunning if well grown. Visiting gardens, I find myself really liking some that I would have swore were not on my list or not my type. That said, some are harder to grow well than others...or like one person's garden better than another's!

It is about more than a pretty face and I will admit to just recently coming to that realization. I think I like all that grow well for me...lol!

My dislikes would be general...continual blotchiness, doesn't open well consistently, blooming in the foliage and low budcount...Oh, yeah, I don't like that fleshy peachy color that some call lavender/pink (must be my soil)...I would just about bet that any I named as not performing well for me, someone else would differ. I actually had that experience in talking with people recently, so lesson learned!

I think I will try to quote Tony Avent (my apologies for not getting it exactly right) who said something along the lines of "only choose one that catches your eye" regarding hostas...to say that daylilies should be like that for each of us....grow only those you really like (for some of us that is still way too many!).

Okay, I'm going to be brutally honest here. Doubles are my least favorite...I can't really put a reason on it, but they just look like they're in pain! Followed by anything that looks like "Always Afternoon". It had it's day and I still grow a clump, but there are way too many that look just like it and they just don't hold an interest for me. It has been difficult for me as a hybridizer because I can see the good in most of them and that makes it hard to cull one. Another least favorite as a hybridizer is a really great one in someone elses' seedling bed. As a hybridizer it can threaten your work if someone else is doing great things too. I'm sure no great hybridizer would admit to that, but I know they feel that way, they have told me so. Also daylilies that bloom in a tight bunch with no room for the individuals to open properly. Off the top that's what comes to mind. Bob

Doubles

Thick, overdone chicken fat

Stella (although I haven't gotten rid of it)

Mini Pearl (love the foliage, but it's an underachiever, to say the least, for me)

Yellows with maroon/red eyes.Yeah,I have a couple,but never cross them with anything. Not big on doubles.Mine were gift plants.

Betsy

I love Strawberry Candy and it's pink here. I also like Doubles but some better than others.

I can't think of any I really don't like. Of course there are 1000's that I've never seen:-) I thought I didn't like Seductress it's first year but it gets prettier every summer.

The bagel shape is my least favorite shape but I have many of them.

LORI GOLDSTON, STRAWBERRY CANDY, KEY TO MY HEART and DRAGON'S EYE. Just a few that are now gone from my yard. LG never opened a good looking flower. SC was not only a poor bloomer but a rather yucky orangy color. KTMH never had a scape taller than 6-8 inches so the flowers were always hidden in the leaves. DE started the day pretty nice and faded out to a rather nasty grayish-pink color. In fact most of the plants that are gone had at least one of the above flaws and as long as I am conplaining, I would never wait three years for a plant to decide to "bloom properly". Either it knows what to do from the get-go or it is gone. Another major flaw is a plant that takes a night temp. of 65 or better to open fully the next day.

JoAnn

Here is a link that might be useful: Dragons Eye

Spiders in general. Though as someone else saod there are a few I find pretty. Muddy colors, I am not thrilled with Strawberry Candy, and totally disappointed in Royal Braid! There seems to be way too many that look alike to me.

My least favorite is the ones with heavy chicken fat. All of my lilies were given to me by friends and being on a very tight budget I certainly didn't refuse any of them. Too bad the friends didn't keep up with the all of the names. The only named daylilies I have are Strawberry Candy, Pink Whispers, and Jungle Princess, and I love all three.

Sharon

gee, people sure have a lot of dislikes and likes with the daylilies.I love them all,except the Spiders/Don't like that at all,and I prefer to have rounded peddles rather then pointed peddles on them too.I got Strawberry Candy last fall and only got to see one bloom this spring,but I loved that bloom.I love ruffles and those with the eyes,but not BIG eyes.Love Custard Candy that I got about a yr ago.I am new to daylilies,just got my first ones about a yr ago and love them.

Jean

In my garden, no muddy or blochy colors. Their lifespan is very short. Don't even give them away. I love bagels, spiders, doubles, triangulars, huge eyes, no eyes and mini's. This year, the biggest factor is color saturation. Bold, clear color. No chicken fat--I do give that away. Darla Anita has been given to me 3 times and gifted away 3 times. I'm really into the Luddy Lambertson purple/blue stuff. But I also love the saturated reds, yellows, oranges, purples. Evergreen cultivars don't have the vivid rose pinks that the dormants do. I'm still looking for them, though.

MARY TODD, there are not many others. For those of you that don't like spiders, I didn't. I was looking at the garden one day, and everything was round, not very intersting. I added a few spiders, and the over all look was more interesting.

DARING DILEMMA! I can't even sell the thing at Farmer's Markets! The color is just too muddy for me.

My yard in not an easy one for any plant to grow in, as I have "glacial tilth" which translates to rock, very little soil. We hauled in lots of mushroom compost when I started the daylily bed. After several years, I have some real likes and dislikes. Because of my zone, and low night time warmth, I can't get blooms to open on anything with a heavily ruffled edge, and there are a couple of southern hybridizers daylilies that refuse to open for me. I find I am less picky about color and form, as I am about whether the plant blooms for me. I don't care for slow increase with one blooming stalk. Color is variable from year to year with many of my daylilies, so I just enjoy the surprises as they bloom. I didn't like yellow or gold daylilies when I started out. But I find they look perfect in a grouping where the eye is yellow or gold and the flower is a different color. A few that have looked bad for several years and then had a good year with true wow appeal are: Son Thomas, Femme Fatale, Venetian Splendor, Awakening Dream, Always Afternoon, Attribution. Others bloom perfectly and abundantly every year. I have a couple of spiders which are not great bloomers, and several doubles that never double. But there is enough of everything else, that I simply enjoy whatever decides to bless me with blooms that particular year.

The thing that bugs me the most is a daylily with very few blooms. I'll take a less spectacular flower with a lot of blooms over a beautiful face with just a few flowers anyday. Of course a combination of the two is ideal!

I like all forms and pretty much all colors. I like fat edges, no edges and toothy edges. What I don't like are splotchy daylilies. I have not liked these very well in my garden because they were splotchy most of the time: SPINY SEA URCHIN (100% splotchy), IDA'S MAGIC, MORT MORSS, MOZAMBIQUE NIGHTS, SYMPHONY OF PRAISE, ROSY RHINO and SYMPHONY OF PRAISE. These do not perform well in areas that have heavy morning dew.

Debra

I am new to DL's but I dont quite like the double daylily. I dont know why... just doesnt look like a traditional dl...
Also, I do not like El Desparado (sp??) I have seen many pics here .. just not a favorite of mine.

great post!
I dont' like stella d'oro, mainly because it was a dirty word to Mrs. Henry. ha
and then I don't like some fo the daylilies that are considered so great for their color but have awful scraggly form. i go for circular and round form.

I agree with the purple/orange combo, and I have to admit most any spider dl.... since you asked.. he he.
thanks for the good start up...
dean

I used to not like spiders but am slowly coming around. Now I think I like some examples of almost every form, just depends on the color combination & other attributes. I don't care for trumpet shaped blooms either.

As a rule, I like dark contrasting eyes but am not all that crazy about the lighter watermarks, though there are exceptions. Guess that's why I am not as fond of the Munsons in general (all you Munson lovers on this board, please don't flog me!).

I also don't care for the orange/purple combo most of the time.

There are quite a few daylilies with exaggerated edges/chicken fat I like but I hate that most of the time that edge is a yellow/gold color. I would like to see more bubbly edges that are the same color as the daylily self or even white. Just anything but yellow!

I don't like most daylilies with "toothy" edges.

I would prefer saturated reds, pinks & purples with the same color throats as opposed to a yellow or green throat though that seems to be the norm.

That being said, I've never culled a daylily or given all of one variety away because I can usually find some trait about it I admire. Danielle

It's amazing that when some "blah" daylilies (which when viewed alone don't "wow" you at all) are mixed with daylilies of different colors or forms, the total effect can be quite lovely.

I had Kwanso (orange) and Children's Festival (peachy-pink with glowing apricot throat) mixed together and they looked beautiful. I had to separate them because the Kwanso was too invasive and started to choke out all the others. The Children's Festival looked so much drabber by itself. And the Kwanso looked garish without Children's Festival to tone it down.

This isn't a daylily, but another example - I had an Edith Wolford iris I nearly pitched because it was so drab, but when I added a very bright purple iris in front, the combined effect was lovely.

I am with Bob. I do not like Always Afternoon. I can not imagine what anyone sees in that dl. Also, I detest Stella De' Oro. I feel that is a much over rated cv. It has an occasional rebloom for me but rarely. Out of about 15 clumps, I have two re-bloom scapes. She is going to the woods this time. I love Spiders, Uf's, Bagels and most other shapes. I do not like tall ( over 32") plants. Even if I like the bloom, I will not purchase one taller than that. That said, I do have some taller one ( or supposed to be ) but they were gift plants. Since mine never get as tall as they are supposed to be, sometimes I can keep them. I have lots of doubles and like them too!!
A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have a spider. Now, I have a bunch...Ellie

In NC I am well past the bloom season for most of my non reblooming lilies and they are looking alot shabby with all the heat we are getting and will get in August, SOOO should I cut them back?...Give them a very lite feed? Will that help with re-growth or will I just cause more damage?

I'm new to gardening in NC and am not sure what to do in all this heat...I have never had my daylilies look this poorly in the summer.

Thanks for any help I can get.

Janet

Sorry message ended up in wrong thread...but if you have an answer I'll take it?

Janet

Janet,
You can cut them back to about 6-10" this will promote new growth which will keep them looking nice untill frost. Not sure if you have to feed them, but it couldn't hurt as long as they are done blooming! The people at oakes do this mid summer too! hope this helps- Jessica

I don't like splotchy daylilies either. Or certain muddy colored ones even though they might be popular.

This is absolutely one of the best discussions we have had.

When I first started collecting daylilies (about 6 years ago) I did NOT like spiders or doubles, or yellows with red or brown eye rings, I think there might be more but I forget.

I really prefer CLEAR colors, highly saturated colors, and pastels. I changed my mind about spiders when my daughter presented me with Marked By Lydia (I abolutely love it.). I saw a picture of Cosmopolitan, a lovely rose color, sort of a double. The petals stack on top of each other and it is cute as can be. I guess it's a mini, doesn't increase very rapidly. I like it anyway.

I like the plainer designs, although ruffled edges are very likable.

Frankly, if it's blooming, it's my favorite.

Kay