I don't live in Zone 5, but i have found that there is variation in daylily survival from plant to plant, Not just donrany, semi and full evergreen. I am in eight and some dormants do great here while other struggle. I hope you will get answers from some of the ones in the colder regions.

kay

We grow and produce (we are hybridizers) many semi-evergreens in our zone 6a (west central Indiana climate). We even have evergreens that survive our winters. Foliage type does not necessarily correlate to hardiness.

There are a couple of factors to consider. First, do you have snow cover in the winter? Do you have a lot of freeze/thaw cycles? If you have snow cover and if it gets cold and stays that way, you might have luck with the tender ones. We rarely have any snow that stays on the ground any length of time and we have lots of freeze/thaw cycles. Those conditions are particularly hard on the semi-evergreens and evergreens.

Mulching will help the tender ones survive. We don't mulch heavily so we try to stay away from tender ones.

My best advice is to look at what nurseries in your general climate are growing. If they can grow it and increase it enough to sell it, then maybe it will do fine in your zone.

Nancy

Linda, what larger city are you near? I am in 5a about 50 miles west of chicago, may have a suggestion or two depending on where you are.

Sherry

I have a different situation then most as I grow almost all my daylilies in small pots (1 gallon and up). We are in zone 7a and I can tell you from experience that almost all ev's and many sevs just don't last long here being over wintered outdoors. Part of our problem is that sevs and evs may still be actively growing in late fall (even if slowing down a bit) when a hard freeze hits. The dormants avoid most of that damage by being - well - dormant, or mostly so. This green foliage part of the problem I would think would also plague colder zones even if their daylilies are in ground. However, my situation is somewhat unique so I'll not comment further other then to post a list of Evergreens that were supposidly hardy in Zone 5. I tried one of them in my zone 7a in a pot, and it didn't survive, so take everything with a grain of salt............Maryl

Hardy Evergreens in Zone 5

I live in central New Hampshire and grow all the foliage types, including semi evergreen. I don't mulch because I have too many daylily children....LOL. This includes hundreds of seedlings. So it is survival of the fittest! I rarely lose a plant because we usually have adequate snow cover which acts as insulation. (I will mulch newly-planted daylilies the first winter, however). Our winters are LONG and I have a lot of wind because of elevation. I even grow evergreens here. Some are surprisingly hardy. But not all. Some springs the evergreens and semi-evergreens will get their foliage frosted off by sudden freezes and look unsightly for a time but bounce back once it warms up. The evergreens and semi-evergreens in my climate don't look green at all in the spring as the snow melts....just a mushy black mess! Unless we have a mild winter and then I see some semblance of green. I love the dormant foliage as it emerges, so green and beautiful.

Thanks everyone! Southern NH - approx 10 miles south of Manchester NH so zone 5b

hoosier-nan. normally have snow cover, and some freeze thaw cycles at the beginning and end of winter. this winter- not much and temps in the 50's on and off in February

Maryn - longevity is why i asked the question. I am trying not to add daylilies that then act like biannuals and that last 2 or 3 years.

Celeste - i know your pain. Because of voles, I don't mulch usually but have put down more compost to cover. it's nice to know that both evergreen and semi have survived, even mushy

I have purchased from local (NH & MA) daylily gardens/growers so i know what i purchases can grow locally, just thinking about the other pretty non-dormant options and contemplating what to add.

one can never have too many.

I have a lot if daylilies (80ish) and seem to add more every year. im in zone 5 colorado with cold winters and terrible spring freeze thaws. i rarely lose one, and honestly never paid much attention to dormant/ semi evergreen/ evergreen evergreen. mine ALL die to the ground. i try to buy from northern growers, since I figure they will probably be tougher plants.

If you have a vole problem, go to Gardens Alive. Their Mole-Relief solved my extreme vole problem, It is a granulated castor oil, so no problem for cats or dogs, I sometimes have to reapply at the ending of summer (I am in zone 8 and my summers are long, so it probably would not be necessary for you to reapply.

kay

Curt Hanson is a hybridizer who lives in Zone 5 Cleveland, OH and produces mainly semi-evergreens. Any of his would be hardy for you, I would think.

Debra