ugly crosses

14 years ago

On a previous thread, someone mentioned that some daylily crosses could be 'dogs'. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but does anyone have pics of daylily kids that they don't like? I'm guessing that there will not be many pictures since who's going to take pics of the ugly flower they decide to compost?

It's just that I haven't seen one daylily yet on this forum that wasn't at the very least 'pretty'. (let's leave bud count, cold hardiness, fertility etc out of the equation for now).

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Comments (39)

Edward_Kimball
14 years ago
Here is some compost from an Enchanted April X Spacecoast Seashells cross. I kept them for two bloom seasons. These pictures are from the first year. The second year I did not take pictures. I just dug them up and threw them in the compost pile.
newyorkrita
14 years ago
Never leave bud count or hardyness out of it, a scape thats always a two bud wonder is not going to get far.

The dogs could be real dogs were the flower is misshappen, pedals point in all strange directions, flowers do not open, scapes could be six inches in height and bloom on the ground. Scapes not strong enough to support the flowers, all blooms too close together and can not open. Colors really muddy and attrocious looking. The list goes on and on.

Commonly there would be seedlings that are not really aweful but nothing so outstanding about them either. They might make nice plants for your backyard garden but would get no further in life than that.
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Edward_Kimball
14 years ago
For the exact opposite, here is my best cross ever: Victorian Lace X Within the Veil. Four of the five that have bloomed are being kept of a third bloom season. I believe that one will be an introduction.
tepelus
14 years ago
I just started fiddling with crossing daylilies last year, and have grown my first seedlings this year, so I have another year or two before they'll bloom and to know whether they are duds or studs (sorry, had to do the rhyme:)

Karen
timberohio
14 years ago
Oh come on Edward show some of your ugly ones. LOL

I love the pink cast on the first one.

Here's my Ugly seedling

{{gwi:843379}}
I'm sure I'll have more next year.

Andrea
wishnforspring
14 years ago
I don't think any of the above DL's are "dogs".Andrea, I think your Ugliest is very pretty-without the ruffled edge maybe it would be a "dog".Edward- I especially like the
Enchanted April X Spacecoast Seashells cross.
floota
14 years ago
Geez, Edward, I crossed VICTORIAN LACE to SPACECOAST STARBURST in 2004, and managed to get some truly ugly seedlings from that cross. I've tossed all but a few, and some that I kept are just as ugly as those tossed already.

Can you believe I got something this ugly from a cross of two nice daylilies? I kept it because it has good plant habits and reblooms.

{{gwi:934251}}

Here are a couple others from the same cross:

{{gwi:934252}}

{{gwi:934253}}

I haven't decided which if any of these to compost.Last summer,I tossed quite a few.
mizellie
14 years ago
floota, I like both of your first crosses. granted, I probably wouldn't buuy them but I definitly would keep them in my garden if they were mine. I take that back, I might buy the first one...Ellie
uroboros5
14 years ago
But I love the color on that second one, floota... compost? :-(
opnjmprs
14 years ago
I was thinking the same thing as Ellie. If those are compost, I would really love to see some of the keepers. Tha keepers must be really be nice.

Linda
Edward_Kimball
14 years ago
floota,

I would keep the last one and possibly the middle one if it had decent branching/budcount or rate of increase. I have one that is similar to the first one that has great plant habit. It is from Jerry Nettles X Spacecoast Starburst. I only kept one seedling from this cross. The others were good enough that I gave them to friends. They had flaws or didn't match up with my hybridizing goals.
shive
14 years ago
After looking at what others call dogs, I've decided I have a real talent for growing the ugliest seedlings around. If they are real dogs, I don't take time to photograph them anymore. Some that I considered dogs always had faded looking colors or looked too much like something from the 1960s.

Watson Park Eyes X Miss Jessie looked faded on every bloom for two years.

Garden named "Poopeye" (Mystic Mariner X George Jetson) was a dog because of the brownish color.

Debra
opnjmprs
14 years ago
"Poopeye" ROFLM_O That is too good. I've had a few that can beat most posted here....it's kind of hard to take a pic when you're looking in a mirror while trying to focus your camera, and you're sure you can hear hissing sounds coming from the flower, and you just know that if you look at it directly you're doomed to become garden statuary.

Linda
berrytea4me
14 years ago
OK, none of you yet can compete with my ugly seedling.
'So Many Stars' x open

Here it is on its best day
silverkelt
14 years ago
Passion District X Born to Run,

This couldve been nice, if it were not for the total LACK of color! none of this cross has impressed me however, it will all be moved out eventually to make room for much better crosses.

Same cross, not much better, but the color was more to what I wanted...

{{gwi:224569}}

It too will probable be moved out eventually.

The PLANT habits and Vigor of the first one is great, it also has strong fragrance... It really is a shame its face is terrible!
Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
14 years ago
wow i guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder! i like them all! lol
blue23rose
14 years ago
If this were a contest, I think berrytea4me wins hands down for the worst:) Edwards last one from Enchanted April X Spacecoast Seashells would be second.

I thought most of the others were pretty, but if a hybridizer is looking for specific qualities, I can understand why there would be compost daylilies.

I actually love silverkelts second picture of Passion District X Born to Run.

Vickie
shive
14 years ago
I would agree with Vickie about that Passion District X Born To Run seedling. I'd be thrilled to have that one.

Shive
wishnforspring
14 years ago
Please don't toss these out!! I will pay postage for some of them- except Berryteafor me's (sorry but it REALLY was ugly :( )If anyone wants me to send postage please let me know!
Lisa
Edward_Kimball
14 years ago
Lisa, if you were in Canada I could send you some nice stuff. I am getting rid of 5 unbloomed seedlings from the Victorian Lace cross. They haven't bloomed in 5 years so they don't get to take up any more room. I am also getting rid of the third one from that post. I am also getting rid of any unbloomed seedlings from Michael Miller X Accent on Style and Larry Grace X Taos.
mizellie
14 years ago
berrytea4me, we must recall the title that Jan won on Doody Pants. I think yours is even uglier than the winner she had. I still think my Brown Trowsers comes a close second though...Ellie

{{gwi:904865}}

{{gwi:876132}}

{{gwi:934258}}
Nancy Barginear
14 years ago
Well, y'all have really hurt my feelings, because I am convinced I have the world's ugliest daylily, hence the garden name of "Ugly Duckling." I tried uploading 3 pics of it, morning, afternoon and late afternoon to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that mine is the UGLIEST. I know some of you saw it last year.

Is anyone have trouble uploading pics to Photobucket? I couldn't get them uploaded, and kept getting a "modem failure" notice. I'm on the internet or I wouldn't be here.

Nancy
wishnforspring
14 years ago
Oh Ed,Please don't tease me!! I have an obsession! I guess at least it's a healthy one-LOL!! I just think that most of the posted pics are very nice and would LOVE to add them to my landscape here in NY. I guess I like "Ugly" daylilies-Ellie- your Brown Trousers would love living here with me-:) along with the other colors you posted. The colors on Trah X Unk are so vibrant and I like the form.
Obviously being new to daylilies I don't know as much as all of you "seasoned" growers. I just started last year and I know I have a lot to learn.Like how to post a picture. I do have Photobucket. Any clues grately accepted.
I love this forum!
mizellie
14 years ago
I have no idea what happened to my picture of Brown Trowsers. It seems to have vanished...I'll try again.. Ellie

{{gwi:811012}}

here's a picture of it on a good day. If it stayed this way, I wouldn't dislike it so much. I just keep it because it's a second place winner in the "ugly" contest we had a few years ago. Trust me, the looks is the "best" thing about this daylily. Terrible growth habits. Hardly increases and has a 5 bud count. The only good thing is that it's dormant! I don't have to see it all winter..Hehehe!!! Then, also I have to keep it because my daughter wrote me the cutest poem named " Brown Trowsers"...Ellie

{{gwi:811011}}
berrytea4me
14 years ago
Actually, Ellie, I like browns and am working on them.

Your BT isn't so bad! I kinda liked it last year too. So sad it doesn't have better plant habits.

What is the cross?
Nancy Barginear
14 years ago
Hey everybody - I found the pics of Ugly Duckling, and figured out finally how to get them uploaded. Here they are:

Morning

1 PM

5 PM

These pics were taken on one of its better days.

Nancy
mitanoff
Original Author
14 years ago
Wow. .
Never thought of a flower as being "colour fast", or in your case Nancy, NOT.
Heh.
mizellie
14 years ago
berrytea4me, I haven't the foggest idea what the cross is. I think though it was a couple of seedlings that I also dind't know. A few years ago, my grandchildren removed all of the labels I had on the seedlings. I didn't keep any kind of spreadsheet on them at the time...Ellie
Joan Dupuis
14 years ago
Wow, you people discard a lot of really nice flowers. I've had some uglies this summer, but decided to see if any better next year. I hate throwing out a plant.
lyle627
14 years ago
Some nice seedlings here! I will agree with Linda I too would like to see the keepers from some of these crosses.

As most I always have a lot of uglies. Then there are the disappointments that stay ugly the worst kind of ugly.

This seedling had a lot going for it, just never would put on a pretty face. This is a TONY THOMPSON seedling

Another TT kid. This one had nothing going on.

This one i watched until the last bloom and it stayed ugly.
SPANISH FIESTA seedling,,
rarejem
14 years ago
I have had a couple of seedlings that I would consider "woodland" flowers rather than main garden daylilies, but very few truly ugly ones. I agree that everyone had their own tastes, because there are only one or two of all of the ones posted here that I would not at least save for the edges of my world or free plants for friends.

Can you just imagine what some of the big hybridizers comost?
wishnforspring
14 years ago
Sigh.... even the uglies need love..LOL!! Some of these pics are beautiful to me.But some are truly UGLY! Still willing to send postage to any "compost worthy" uglies though. Being a nurse I try to "save" anything living and hate to see them tossed.
Can someone fill me in on how to post a picture?????
uroboros5
14 years ago
May I declare a winner?

najoba's Ugly Duckling should win the blue ribbon.

There is not a redeeming feature on that flower. The plant probably looks better with leaves only. ;-)
Nancy Barginear
14 years ago
Yeaaaa! I knew my Ugly Duckly would win! (smile) It is indeed a fine looking plant without the blooms. I gave it another year as recommended by some here at the forum, but it wasn't much better.

It goes to show you that you can't believe the vendors' photos when it comes to reds, especially if you live here in the sunny South.

Nancy
marricgardens
14 years ago
I'm just getting into growing daylilies although I've had several for a few years. I tried my hand at hybridizing this year but it was so wet and windy I guess that's why only one cross took. Every time I tried to make a cross, it seemed to rain the next few days. Oh well, try again next year. I've enjoyed this thread and seeing the different blooms you get from crosses. Floota, I liked all 3 of yours but my favorites were the first one and last one. Silverkelt, I really like your second one. If you are going to toss it, toss it my way? Thanks for sharing the pics everyone. Marg
Nancy Barginear
14 years ago
When rain may be a problem shortly after doing your cross-pollination, it is a simple matter to deal with that. Get you a round toothpick and some regular aluminum foil. Cut little squares of the stuff, and roll them one at a time around the toothpick. Slide the cylinders of rolled foil off the end of the toothpick and fold over one end. You can then slip them over the pistil once you have pollinated the daylily. This will protect the cross until pollination occurs, normally within 1-1/2 hours. It's good to make a batch to keep on hand to be used when needed.

Nancy
jeepjeep
14 years ago
The first year blooms never look like the end result....
sometimes it take a while for them to come into their beauty!
marricgardens
14 years ago
Thanks for the tip Nancy! I'll keep it in mind for next year. Maybe I'll have more luck. Marg
Nancy Barginear
14 years ago
Protecting the pollinated pistil works very good Marg as long as the temperatures aren't up in the high 90's. If it should get that hot, the aluminum foil might help "cook" the pistil. But then, pollination doesn't occur as much when the temps are very high, anyway.

Nancy

ugly crosses

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