Hemerocallis 'BERTIE FERRIS' daylily
Symbivit Tric (arbuscular)
Symbivit (arbuscular)Hemerocallis
The genus Hemerocallis comprises roughly fifteen species of perennial herbs in the family Asphodelaceae, native to eastern Asia, where they grow along woodland margins, in grassy valleys and on moist slopes. They are characterised by grass‑like, two‑ranked leaves arising from short rhizomes and by flowering scapes bearing tubular to funnel‑shaped blooms that open for only a single day. This rhythm gave the genus its name: the Greek hemera means day and kallos beauty. The first formal description was published by Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), yet several species had been cultivated in China for millennia as medicinal plants and vegetables. Daylilies reached Europe in the sixteenth century, but true breeding progress began only in the twentieth century in the United States, where thousands of cultivars were created with an astonishing range of colours, shapes, sizes and flower types. Modern collections include miniature forms, giant blooms, spider types, doubles and extremely free‑flowering lines that have placed daylilies among the most widely grown perennials in the world.
Daylilies have accompanied people for centuries and have acquired strikingly different meanings across cultures. In China they were valued as medicinal plants and their flower buds – the “golden needles” – are still used in cooking as a delicate vegetable. In Korea they symbolised motherhood and feminine devotion, while in Japan they appear in poetry as an image of transience, opening in the morning and fading by evening. In European gardens they became popular for their reliability, longevity and ability to flower throughout summer with minimal care. And although each bloom lasts only a single day, the plant produces so many that a border appears as a continuously renewed wave of colour. Modern breeding has brought a spectacular array of colours and flower forms, from cream, lemon yellow, apricot, pink, red and wine shades to almost black tones, together with bold edges, bands, veining and ruffled margins that have made daylilies one of the most variable perennials of today. With a touch of humour, yet entirely deservedly, they are also counted among the plants described as “foolproof”, because they survive almost anything even the most inexperienced gardener might do to them.
Bertie Ferris daylily bears 6–7 cm wide, bell-shaped flowers that open broadly and feature delicate ruffling on the main petals. Their colour can vary depending on growing conditions – from deep gold to tangerine orange with salmon undertones. They typically bloom around mid-June on stems about 50 cm tall, and well-established plants in favourable conditions may rebloom in August. In rare cases, flowering continues uninterrupted from June to August. The leaves are broad, medium green, grassy, and deciduous. Compared to the original species, this cultivar offers a softer flower with wider opening and more pronounced ruffling. It was bred and introduced in 1969 by Ury and Elna Winniford.
Ury Winniford (1909–2001) from Dallas, Texas, was an American daylily breeder who, together with his wife Elna, created over 230 registered cultivars. Their work received the highest honours in the field- 'Bertie Ferris' was awarded the prestigious Stout Medal in 1980, the top accolade from the American Hemerocallis Society, and had already been named Daylily of the Year in 1977. Ury’s breeding philosophy was intuitive – he simply had to like the flower. But he insisted that the sepals must never be pointed; they had to be rounded. Later in his career, he added further criteria, such as early bloom opening – he wanted the flowers to “look at him” first thing in the morning as he entered the garden. The cultivar was named after Bertie Mae Ferris, a prominent figure in the American Hemerocallis Society, who served as its president in 1969 and played a key role in popularizing daylilies across the United States.
Daylilies thrive in full sun or light partial shade and grow best in deeper, fertile, well‑drained yet consistently slightly moist soils. Thanks to their fleshy roots (rhizomes) they tolerate even prolonged dry periods without damage. They flower most abundantly in sunny positions and when clumps are divided every four to six years, which maintains vigour and prevents congestion in the centre. After flowering, the foliage of some cultivars may look tired, so it is advisable to remove the entire spent scapes and, when needed, the oldest or damaged leaves to maintain a clean appearance and encourage further blooming. Young shoots can be attractive to small shelled slugs, which slightly damage them visually, particularly in moist spring weather. The roots are very hardy in the ground and overwinter reliably even in severe winters; most cultivars tolerate temperatures down to around –40 °C (USDA zone 3). In containers they perform well only in sufficiently large pots with quality substrate, regular watering, feeding and protection from summer overheating, otherwise they dry out quickly and reduce flowering. They are long‑lived, reliable, undemanding and generally free from serious pests and diseases.
Last update 01-02-2025; 11-11-2025
