Hemerocallis 'CHICAGO KNOBBY' daylily (tetraploid)
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, acquiring surprisingly 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; at the same time they are regarded as a flower of forgetting one’s worries, as they were traditionally given as a gesture of comfort and care, a symbolism reflected in old literary and poetic records. 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.
Chicago Knobby is a daylily tetraploid (with 4 sets of chromosomes: total 44 in each cell) which was a personal breakthrough in the field of purple colour for Chicago based hybridizer James Marsh, and is still today considered the ultimate purple. The flowers are large, 15 cm across, and combine light and deep purple shades and a yellow throat. They come out from June until July. Stems are 50-60 cm tall and leaves are semi-evergreen.
James E. Marsh (1902-1978) was an American breeder who had tried several plant species before he landed in the field of daylilies in 1955, figuratively of course - he was never a pilot. He loved all colours but his biggest ambition was blue or anything close. He became renowned for his Prairie series of 36 diploid varieties where he introduced his first close-to-lavender achievements of cold rosy pink with violet hues. However, the real breakthrough happened when he began hybridizing tetraploids which opened a whole new world of colours and shapes for him. We was among the first tetraploid-breeding pioneers and his enthusiasm was crowned with an outstanding series of 74 tetraploid daylilies called after his home town Chicago. It was between 1969 until his death in 1978 when his grandson Roy took over and continued with his unfinished work until 1987, releasing the latest varieties under his and Charles Klehm's name who bought James' stock after he died. His wife Searcy along with AHS (American Hemerocallis Society) established a James E. Marsh Award for the best purple or lavender daylily which ran from 1981 to 1990. James himself received the prestigious Bertrand Farr Silver Medal in 1974, an award for outstanding achievements in daylily hybridizing, and will always be remembered for the one who brought true purple to the world of daylilies.
Last update 11-01-2019
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.
