Yes, Russian Rhapsody is very reliable here. A vigorous grower. Don't waste your space with tender plants. Unfortunately, I've held on to many that I shouldn't have.

I know how you feel about Raspberries in Cream. I just bought it for the third time this year and hope I can keep it alive this time.

I had several that didn't bloom. Should I get rid of those that haven't bloomed for two years or more? We have never had zero temps until the past two winters.

Patsy Carpenter - Still alive and spindly. Hasn't bloomed in three years.

Zephyr's Song - Hasn't bloomed in two years.

Regal Fantasy - Hasn't bloomed in two years.

Asian Fairy Bluebird - Hasn't bloomed in two years.

Cerise Beauty - Hasn't bloomed in two years.

Cosmic Odyssey - Hasn't bloomed in two years - down to one fan from three.

Born to Run - Didn't bloom this year.

Robes for the Queen - Didn't bloom this year.

Extra Terrestrial - Didn't bloom this year.

River City Pier Surfer - Didn't bloom this year, and I was out of town when it bloomed last year.

Forever Redeemed has four big honking fans but nary a scape.

Beyond the Sea - No scapes for two years, but it had been growing in too much shade until I moved it in late May.

Northwind Dancer - Down to one fan, which did not bloom.

And then I had several that only bloomed on one or two fans despite having a clump:

Annabelle's Blush

Texas Blue Eyes

Crazy Ivan

Crimson Edgings

Debra

Mantis, that's a good advice, but the thing with all of those tender ones is that they are so compact, and even if I throw them all away it won't give me any room :) I'll let mother nature take care of them.

Debra, oh :( Two years is long but three is a very long wait! Has it ever bloomed? Hopefully your winters will return to normal :) I used to move my non-bloomers to a different spot (when I had that luxury) to give them a chance. But the last couple years every time I disturb a daylily it results in something negative. Shorter scapes, way less buds etc.

Isn't Northwind Dancer from the North? And won some award? :0 Oh how unfair about River City! And sad about Forever Redeemed, it does have huge fans doesn't it? :)

Did you use any of the four with 1-2 scapes in hybridizing last year?

A couple from your list

1. Berry Delicious-nice & healthy but no bloom

2. Choral Fantasy-2 puny fans down from 3 last fall & no blooms

3. citrina-new last fall, nice looking little clump though & being an oldie I really expected to see blooms

4. Future Design-I rescued it last fall when it had been overtaken by a shrub. It didn't bloom last year & shrank from a clump to 3 fans.

5. Jamaican Music-has always bloomed nicely, the winter doesn't seem to have hurt it visably, nice & healthy, but no bloom

6. Infernal Fire-has never done well & barely hanging on after last winter

7. Tranquil Waters-I may have moved it last year, but can't find its tag anywhere & didn't bloom.

8. Unity Consciousness-also moved last fall & can't find tag. May have died but I've had MIAs turn up & wondered what in the world was I thinking when I planted it there.

9. Ruby Lipstick is down to 1 fan, not sure what happened there. Seems like I did share it last year, may have over divided it.

10. Waiting for Peace-through no fault of its own, I accidentally broke the 2 scapes it had while I was pulling mint out from its roots.

From these lists though, I have Annabelle's Blush which is having fantastic rebloom, as many scapes as it had the first time & looking quite nice right now. Born to run & Cosmic Odyssey both made it through the winter nicely considering I just planted last fall. Plenty of blooms on both too, but Born to Run was mostly blotchy. Hope Cosmic Odyssey does well here, I really liked the blooms.

Nat - Patsy Carpenter bloomed just fine for two years before her hiatus. The only one of the nonbloomers I tried to set seed on was Forever Redeemed, and none of those crosses took. I did divide it this spring, and gave two fans to a friend. Hers did scape and bloom. Go figure. It's planted in a place that gets full sun. North Wind Dancer may be suffering from too much shade. I'm getting more shade than in the past from two neighbors now.

Debra

Mine are to numerous to list. But the ones that did not bloom this year, bloomed last year. With the exception of Dizzy Miss Lizzy which has never bloomed for me I did move it though. I know it had to do with the weird weather we had this year. I lost a couple but I didn't expect them to make it through this year anyway. Bad bloom year for me!

My no-shows:

Crazy Ivan

Metallic Montage

Vivid Butterfly

All 3 got moved to better lit spots this spring, so likely the move after the tough winter made them sleep?

~Anika

All of mine survived and bloomed, even the imposter VL much to my dismay.

Hmmm - Crazy Ivan has been a consistent bloomer for me. I have it in two locations. We had -17 degrees this winter and it survived just fine. We did have snow cover when it was very cold.

I also remember that during the coldest periods we had snow cover. Guess I should be thankful for all that unexpected snow we had this year.

We have a friend who has a sister living in St. Petersburg, Soviet Union. The sister has daylilies that grow well but never bloom. My wife, Dr. Patricia Henley, who is on the AHS Scientific Studies Committee, suggests that because daylily flowers are initiated in the previous growing season, they are killed during extreme cold.

My no show:

Gentle Shepherd.unreliable. It's going.

Poor showing, just a few flowers [there are a few others but I just divided them so they have an excuse!:

Lady Arablella [usually good]

You Angle you

Siloam Plum Tree [used to be good, has had several bad years in a row]

Joylene Nichole--third year for it, still not doing well. Last chance.

Castle Pinkney--3 years, still not much. Last chance

Orchid Corsage-has bad years off and on, but is such a late one and nice, reluctant to get rid of it.

Daveo Holeman. often has bad years.

Note: Russian Rhapsody is one of my most reliable ones. Guess it can't take the cold.

Ironic Observation: through the years I've given away daylilies to locals when I've divided a clump, or decided one has not done well enough for me. Then I see the ones that didn't do so well thriving extremely well at their house. Some just planted it and never did anything to it, or even weed and actually know nothing about plants.

Brad

I'm impressed dick_in_ohio. I participated in rust discussions with Dr. Henley, I think back in 2008, and used the information I got in fighting rust back in zone 9. She was very insightful and knowledgeable and is a big asset to AHS.

I didn't keep a list of non-bloomers. From experience, plants used heavily in hybridizing will often take a season off. I have several that I almost lost over the winter, but only 'Witches Wink' was gone. When plants get down to only one fan, trying to move or improve the soil around them can kill the plant. Hard to know what's best.

This is my no shows,

Cimarron Rose - I love this one but he is so tender. I will bark this fall.

Continental Holiday - love it too, will bark.

Diamond Shadows - moved last year, not a hugh favorite but nice.

Electric Marmalade Magic - I have only had maybe one good season with it.

Doc Alexander - sorry it didn't bloom, that was my grandfather's name.

Free Wheelin' - not a big favorite but like it.

Flamboyant Diva - was moved last year.

Peacock Maiden - is in to much shade.

Mort Morss - I barked but it was moved last year.

Mynelle's Starfish - pretty but in the foliage so don't really like anyway.

These Eyes - was moved last year.

If I had not barked Bella Sera, Lone Star Wagon Wheel or Regal Fantasy they probably wouldn't have bloomed either but I love them so it was worth the effort.

I only have one older daylily that has had trouble blooming. John Shooter's Sour Puss. It was a blooming fool for 3 years then blam that abnormally cold winter in 2013 and it has never bloomed since. It was too exceptional for me to throw in the towel yet even though after a normal winter last year I thought It would "man up" this year but it's still just limping along.........Did I understand that correctly Dick? Blooms for next year are being initiated right now as we speak? Never heard that before............. Maryl

A nice clump of Blueberries and Cream had one miserable scape.

Mary: That is true, especially on early bloomers. I just talked to the Daylily Doctor about that. More likely they are initiated in the fall, after bloom season.

Ok, after reading about blooms being initiated in the fall on the earlies, what if anything can be done to help?

sherry

TLC - maybe mulch the tender ones. I don't mulch. If they aren't hardy without, they don't last long in my garden.

Interesting read!

Nancy, funny we both had 10 and 2 of them the same Maryott's.

Interesting observation, Brad! About not so good ones thriving :)

As for St Petersburg, it's much much colder here in IA and my daylilies bloom :)

jkayd_il5 can you clarify for me what you mean by barked? Never heard that term before.

I mean we pour some bark, 1/4 bag or so, on the top of the daylily after the first hard frost. In our part of the country this is about the first of December. That will add extra insulation for it. It's not unusual for us to have cold weather without snow cover. Of course you have to uncover it in the spring. This works for us. We also do that for our roses.