The most I ever paid for one Daylily was $60.00. I bought it last year after waiting 3 years for it to drop from 100+ @ my local daylily farm. It was a nice potted plant with 3-4 thick healthy fans. I wouldn't have paid that much sight unseen on a bare root plant to be shipped.

That being said if I would win the lottery there are 1 or 2 that are still around 150- 200 I would probably get. Like I'm gonna ever win! LOL!!!!!!!

Kim

Yeah, I saw that too. I think it was because he is planning on introducing it next spring & the buyers wanted an extra edge before the release. I personally would never spend that much on a dl regardless of what it is & ESPECIALLY if it's not an EMO!! One of the worst traits in a dl that bugs me the most. Besides it looks like the rest of the F. Ragamuffin wannabes with white midribs, another trait I ain't so wild about. I wonder when people will tire of orange with teeth? Give me some other colors & I may just go for it, lol! Kidding, I still wouldn't spend that much on a dl ever! The most I've spent is 200 & that is highly unusual for me. I like to wait to see true garden pics & reports back of dls before taking the plunge.

But just like Kim said, if I only won the lottery, that may change in a heartbeat, lol! I still wouldn't have spent the money on that one though, I would have spent it on this one:
http://www.daylily.com/cgi-bin/auction.cgi?seedlings&1253589806
I know it's orange but it's got the edge no eye going on which I don't think I've ever seen in a toothy dl & the substance appears to be a heck of alot better. Go Mannings!! Yes, another Lillian's Jinger bred kid! I can't remember who it was, but someone was posting their seedlings from LJB earlier this year & they all looked fantastic.

Eh, to each their own.

I would pay $761:)

Loserme

My garden is full so if I add one I have to remove one. As such, the number of daylilies has dropped dramatically. I think I added about 12 in each of the last two years. This means I an afford to spend a bit more on each one. The most I have spent on a daylily is $100. This year my wife bought me one for $204. That was Perfect Pink Porcelean (Benz). That price includes exchange, shipping and phyto.

Edward
Timberlea, NS

No no no!
"Ahead" - not a loser. Just shows how much you wanted it ($368 worth??). . . . ;>
My Fantasy Daylily - If there was a thick, large, white with scarlet filigree edge, little to no eyezone, fragrant, high bud count, scapes, rebloom, maybe a contrasting sepal colour that would survive my zone . . . well now. . . I might have to dig into my sock to pull out my bankroll! I just haven't seen one that really does it for me yet.
Ummm. . . what does "EMO" mean?

Early Morning Opener

I paid $220 last year for one and $100 for one this year. It could depend on how badly I wanted it. But I have no children at home and no debt, which makes a huge difference.
kay

Depends. Most of mine are under $20, but I have spent $50 and $75 once.

Like Kay said, we (my family) don't have much debt, I don't buy nice clothes ($5 on clearance? YAHOO!) because I don't have anywhere to wear them, I don't have nice cars (Why?, because the value goes down too quickly), and I do have kids, but they outgrow thing so quick that I don't bother with Gymboree or Gap. Oh, and I also don't buy $5 coffee! NOthing wrong with that, but it just adds up. I'd rather spend it on a nice flower. I buy the kids new toys for birthdays/x-mas, but the rest are used (not crap, but gently used).

I think it's all about choices in life. I downsize in other places so that I can buy my beauties and the nice things when my family needs them.

Dani

I don't care for teeth. They're kinda fun, I reckon, and though they make for nice photos I don't think teeth add much to the flower's garden appeal.

It reminds me a bit of the new cactus peonies. I bought four. Lovely photographs up close! But they do zero in the garden.

Toothed daylilies aren't as bad as cactus peonies, but I value a daylily with great carriage, abundant, clear-colored flowers more than one with bite.

OBVIOUSLY I'm in the minority... people seem to love jaws and claws!

I've managed to fork out between $75 to $120 a few times in the past few years for a DL I really wanted, but it's hard to justify when I have bills that are due. I have really curbed it back this year. I guess I am at the point where I will just drool and hope I live long enough to get an expensive DL after it comes down in price in a few years. I'm planning on getting so many wonderful seedlings myself that I won't need to buy other DL's. LOL
Nina

The person who was selling that seedling posts on here. He was posting some very nice seedling pics this year. If I had the money I would have went higher. The DH would have shot me but I would have bought it. LOL

Than I would have begged Tregar to send a bonus fan of that beautiful sculpted purple he posted pics of. LOL

Andrea

"I wonder when people will tire of orange with teeth?"

Maybe never...:)

especially when it's probably pink. :))

especially when the teeth sit on a plant with branching like that seedling has.

Not to mention, didn't you see his description of the teeth? Yellow gold to green gold....from HOLY G, and very nice. Just think of the potential....down the line, someone might develop green teeth from the seedling.

I buy what I like, and I like the $5 ones and the ones that cost quite a bit more than $5. This is a hobby that gives me great pleasure. If I were a serious hybridizer, mitanoff, I've no doubt I'd spend even more if necessary, to get that very special plant. Hybridizers do it because of the large potential payback. For a hybridizer, $700+ would not be so excessive for a plant that could play a key role in a breeding program. For the amateur, it may not be much either. Some people spend lots on their hobbies!

If it was royal purple with those teeth and I had the money, yes I would pay that much and more. The most I've ever paid is $167 for 2 unbloomed fans of Bass Gibson and Golden Tentacles. One of the fans had it's first and only bloom this Spring and it was nothing special. As a first bloom I was very disappointed, just the standard yellow with a small gold edge. I had hoped for a lot more for that kind of money. I have witnessed the improvements that can happen in the first 3 years of a plants life,so I will play the waiting game, but even then, I know there won't be a dark purple come out of the yellow. I still have one more seedling to bloom, I have my fingers crossed!!!My next most expensive was $75 for Arctic Lace so you can see that I don't have any expensive plants. Money is a real issue for me.

Collectors and hybridizers that have the money to purchase these plants are very willing to pay this amount of money for any new look, anything different. That's what keeps all of us buying plants.

May we all be blessed with many wonderful seedlings, Mona

I too, have started growing my own seeds. I have several hundred that I need to get planted. It's a lot of fun, and a lot of work!!!

I've paid as much as $120, but won't do that any more. I've bought two of Jack Carpenter's pricey daylilies from other vendors, and they were a big disappointment. I'll just stick with more reasonably priced ones. It really hurts to see an expensive daylily die on you or not turn out as great as pictured, once it gets planted out in full sun instead of being protected by shade cloth. I have bought some for $60 or $70 -- and those I got from the Shooters and Trimmers turned out really fine.

Nancy

I might have some insight into the reasons why it was bought for that much. Of course, the value always depends on how it is planned to be used by any prospective buyer.

1) Near-Exclusivity

Knowing the Coastal Climate out west, I estimated that he saw it bloom last year, and that he had maybe 6 fans on it this second year (Tragar said in the auction that he had seen it bloom over 2 summers). Increasing 5 fans to "introduction numbers" would take 3 years, minimum, I figured. So, how much is near-exclusive access for 2 or 3 years to a neat seedling worth to a hybridizer and/or auction seller?

2) Green teeth and green edges

Have you seen how much demand there is for the Ragamuffin lines? Look at how much "ruby" gets for her seeds coming from her exclusive seedling, "SILENCE OF THE LAMBS" Can you imagine the demand for this seedling (very pod fertile according to Tragar) crossed to the new definitive green-edged SHAMROCK DEW? How much would it be worth to be able to sell for 2 years the only seeds from that seedling and SHAMROCK DEW, not to mention all kinds of other stuff like RED FRIDAY? How nice would it be to have a clump in 2 or 3 years of this sinfully pod fertile seedling when Grace's new crazy green seedling comes out?

3) unique plant habit

That edge is not equivalent to a southern edge. It is coming from a climate that reduces southern edges to about 25% of what they are in their home climate, which is not to say that edge would be 4x larger in FL, but it is probably 2 or 3x larger than what the FORTUNE'S DEAREST toothy edge would be in that climate. I might even remember not seeing teeth on FD when it bloomed for me in that climate. The climate also changes colors so that the flower is unrecognizable even to the hybridizer that introduced it. I have witnessed it first hand. That pink in a warmer summer might be more pleasing, but I do feel that is the weakest aspect of that seedling. I don't notice the midribs as being white like someone suggested. In the warmer northern areas (non-coastal), that edge should get even bigger. Depending on how hard-dormant it is, the edge could get even bigger or smaller as it goes further south. The branching on that seedling is very nice and certainly not a drawback. I wouldn't venture to guess what southern branching amounts to in that cool climate.

4) headstart

If that seedling goes to a hybridizer in the friendly ragamuffin climates, the seedlings from it might be fully evaluated 3-4 years from now, right when they could maybe expect to get it at introduction. If the buyer had passed on this one and crossed their Ragamuffin clump to SHAMROCK DEW next summer instead, hoping for the green edges, it would take 4 years to find a likely replacement. This one not only has as much green as you could hope for in a first generation, but it gives it to them 4 years earlier than they could make it themselves. How much is skipping a whole generation worth to any hybridizer, let alone a northern hybridizer? There is a reason why the hybridizers tend to seek and share and trade for the seedlings of others, they keep up with the cutting edge and they do it now.

5) running the numbers

If that buyer were to make merely 10 pods on that seedling next summer crossed to SHAMROCK DEW, they could expect to get no less than $5 per seed. 10 pods, 15 seeds each (very pod fertile stuff has high seed count in my experience), $5 ea = $750. Investment paid off. Profit = anything else they sell from its pod and pollen before intro or it's fans after introduction.

I forgot to comment about the opening. That flower will open earlier in the warmer northern mornings than it does in the coastal climate, it may even end up being EMO.

To open that well by 10 AM at Tragar's is actually quite a feat, if that picture is taken on an outdoors plant. You wouldn't believe how many southern hems don't ever open in that climate. It is plenty to hope for in this regard, enough for sure to take it to the northern EMOs and choose offspring that are open for you at 8AM or earlier.

That certainly is a nice and unique seedling, but it is coming from a southern area, too. I would never buy it in the fall and plant it out here. I think that one of the selling points of the tragar seedling was the climate it was coming from and it's likely hardiness in the north. I will also take the start of a green edge over that edge color any day. I do like the style of edge, suggesting an array of bubbles, hooks, horns, daggers and teeth, though it isn't quite as toothy as some.

The highest I've gone is $250, and I don't intend to do that again. The single fan died, and the hybridizer could not replace it because it was sold out. Whose seedling was this? Was it Ruby? I want to look it up on the Lily Auction.

Debra

Many years ago I too paid $250 for a single fan ('John Peat,' from cross borders daylilies), which arrived pretty dried out, and didn't survive the winter. I got really burned, and never will spend that much on a plant again. I didn't complain, just decided to never order from them again, and it's not necessarily their fault anyway, but I'm not taking more expensive chances.

This year I'm spending up to $80 on some tender ones, but they will be grown in pots and overwintered until I have some fans to "test" outdoors.

The most I've spent was around $36 for a double fan of LONE WOLF at a local on-line auction. I had told myself I wouldn't go over $25, but you know how that goes.

Next year will be different though, because our finances will take a turn for the worse when Whirlpool pulls out. So I may not even spend $10 for one next year. But there are so many pretty ones out there for that price.

It's kind of like my Blue Willow collection, if I may make a comparison. Some people wouldn't give a dime for it, but I love it and value it greatly.

Vickie

Having had a few weak moments ( well, more than a few) I've paid $250 for daylilies before. But again, no debt, no kids to put through college, etc. is a factor! I personally would NOT put the big bucks into a seedling unless I was into hybridizing in a big way, which I'm not.

Paid $160 the most, and probably will wait a while longer next time.

I agree with bigriver. There are reasons why some would pay big for cutting edge plants or seedlings.

Thankfully, I don't have those reasons as it could get too competitive.

I do enjoy, though, watching the latest and greatest developments, and at the same, appreciating the plants already performing very well in the garden.

Bj

Most that I have paid so far is $75 for Heavenly Angel Ice this year. I bought from Jamie Gossard directly so I did get one of his 2009 intro too. I neither bloomed for me so I will have to wait untill next year to see if they are worth it or not.

I could see me paying $100 for something but I would have to be really sure it would do well in my zone and I would not pay that much for a single fan.

Nice score Tragar.. congrats!

A daylily is only worth what someone will pay for it.. and tastes sure run the gamet. This flower appears accurately presented.. sooo many toothy ones are NOT. ONE time face shots taken under high culture conditions.. full of water, fert and who knows what. Find some garden shots of things like Puffer Fish or Venus Flytrap.. only someone who has to justify the $$ spent would call those worth anything.

As hybridizing tools.. to analyze this flower.. I see one major flaw from my view. The petals cup out.. if that is the norm.. maybe not.. but it goes to being 'accurately presented'. Yet the point was well made per origin climate temps.

This daylily face game just rolls on.. breeding extreme expressions to same.. negating color and real beauty. As long as the willing checks and plastic is out there.. it'll continue.. and daylily flowers as garden subjects get uglier.

I have little kids AND debt so I can't spend much, but I think even if I did have tons of money I wouldn't spend over $150. It's just too extravagant in my opinion. Plus, the price always goes down after a couple years.
The most I've so far spent on a daylily is $28 for Song Writer from Maryott's - an early one.
I hope to buy Clown Parade next year for $50 from Marietta's.
I have an envelope I put $ into and if I spend it on myself for daylilies I donate the same amount to A Glimmer of Hope - my favorite charity. It's hard for me to buy plants without helping others with getting bare necessities in 3rd world countries.
Sorry for going on... :)

The most I have ever paid is is $250-$275.00. That being for Korth and Emmerich 2009 intros. That much is rare for me and I would NEVER pay anything even close to it for a deep south hybridizered daylily. As Kay and Julie have already said on this thread, no dept here, no kids to put thru collage.

Looking at this seedling, I would say that I would most definitely pay with a bad back from all the bending over I'd be doing.

tragar,

That is a very nice daylily. Have you thought of any names for it?

Edward

THanks Edward! (and others).

I'm hoping to call it "Dental Academy".

Dental Academy...that's a funny one! The most I've spent on a single daylily was $35 for Dracula, which being it's second year in my garden has yet to bloom. Maybe next year. He may be one of those that must get good and comfy in his new dirt home before showing his pretty flowers. But he's not the only one who has yet to flower, there are several others. I almost didn't want to spend that much for a plant, only to have it die, but I needed him in my Dracula themed bed, and I figured, what the heck, I spend that much on cigarettes in two weeks time. So, I bought him, direct from the hybridizer too, who was a very nice person. :)

Karen

Talladega daylily! I've only spent $35 on a daylily, but when I saw this one my jaw dropped! Oh how I wish...
Maybe next year :(
I don't even know if it would survive here. Maybe with good mulching? Wish, wish, wish upon a star

Here is a link that might be useful: Talladega daylily

Some people growing it have reported that it is not nearly as red as shown and blooms much lighter. I also wonder if there would be any problems with opening and the flower getting hung up in the north because of all the excessive ruffles.

Here's TALLADEGA growing here. I also saw it in FL and it looked the same. I like it a lot but it sure isn't the fire engine red of the pictures! Maybe the day they took the picture they took it in bright sun. That's my best guess. This picture is an accurate representation of the color here!

{{gwi:880551}}

What a bummer. lol However, it is still a nice one. They never are what they look like in the pics and glossy photos.
That's why I like going to Daves Garden and looking them up on Plantfiles. At least you can sometimes see what they look like in a few different views and lighting situations.

I must disagree!! The vast majority of plants that I saw in Florida looked EXACTLY like their pictures, and many looked even better than the pics, even with the rainy conditions under which we had to view them. There are a very few that looked different but IMHO, it is unfair to say that they are never what they look like in the pics.

I have visited quite a few hybridizers gardens over the years ( not just in FL) and think that the majority of them do try to accurately represent their cultivars. Some of them are just better hybridizers than they are photographers, I'll concede that.

The most I have paid so far is $47.50 this spring at a club auction. It was for a double fan of a 2008 intro.

1 fan immediately rotted but the other took off and produced a small increase. It did not bloom yet (planted May 1). I planted it immediately on arrival into a prime garden location. No abuse on this side to account for the rotting.

I wouldn't call the hybridizer on the failed fan only because this was a donation to the club auction & what I paid was almost 1/2 of their list price. Besides, part of the plant survived. It better make it through winter though!

If I had paid full price I'd have been really disappointed. As it is I'm sort of disappointed. I've had better performance from much less expensive plants.

Now all that said, I expect to start paying more as I want to go commercial and that means I need to update my collection with newer releases.

FYI
Lots of Talladega cross seeds on the LA right now from seller jeffb. Maybe a less expensive way to go?