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Hemerocallis 'RUFFLED APRICOT' daylily
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.
Ruffled Apricot is a tetraploid daylily introduced in 1972, with large flowers approximately 18 cm across. The base colour is apricot, enriched by lavender‑pink midribs and a golden‑apricot throat that shifts to a pale green hue towards the centre. The petal edges are distinctly ruffled, giving the cultivar a soft, decorative character. It flowers early to mid‑season, usually from late June. The blooms are pleasantly fragrant and belong to the extended‑bloom type, remaining open longer than the usual sixteen hours. Scapes reach around 70 cm in height, carry a medium bud count and flower evenly. The foliage is deciduous, ensuring reliable winter hardiness even in colder regions. Overall, it is a cultivar with warm pastel colouring, pronounced ruffling and very dependable garden performance.
S. H. Baker was an American hybridiser active in the 2nd half of the 20th century, part of the generation that developed the first tetraploid daylily lines after their introduction into breeding practice. He worked in the United States, likely in the northern states, focusing on large‑flowered pastel types and on improving petal substance. In the register of the American Daylily Society he appears as the author of several introductions from the 1960s and 1970s, showing his interest in warm apricot tones, fine midrib definition and firm floral structure. He belongs among those hybridisers who did not leave a large portfolio, yet whose work is still valued for solid garden qualities and for helping shape the early tetraploid era.
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 08-05-2026
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- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
