Geometric Logic (Piotrowski 2001)
($30 SF)
35”, 6” M Sev, Tet, top branched, 15 buds. (Sultry X ((Dark Rosaleen x Atlanta Royalty) x (Mountain Violet x Persian Market))).
A big, ruffled, triangular pink flower with a faint halo and wide radiating yellow throat, darker veining and lighter midribs. Not as many buds as I like, but a pretty flower. And as is the case with many daylilies that have fewer buds, they open nicely and fully because the flowers don’t get hung up on neighboring buds and branches. I’m a fan of branching and bud count, but I also like flowers that open fully! This is another good parent for me, check out some of the kids on the seedling page.
Hemerovana (Piotrowski 2020)
27", 6" M Sev, Tet, terminal Y+1, 22 buds, EMO. (Ferengi Gold X Daisy Belle Thorp).
Hemerovana is a clean, clear medium yellow, with a flower shape that I love. It's an early morning opener so it's always looking bright and cheerful first thing in the morning. And since it's yellow, it has great staying power for the whole day. Seeing a clump in bloom always puts me in a good place!
Herman the Great (Piotrowski 2018)
(Holding for increase)
32”, 6.5” M Sev, Tet, terminal Y + 1-2 branches, 25 buds. (Alpha Centauri X Shirley My Love).
Named in honor of Herman Pruitt. Friend and mentor to many, Herman was generous, a leader, and a founding member of the Central Daylily Club. He is deeply missed in Region 15. This one needs to become established to do its thing; it produces short scapes the first year after transplanting.
Ithaka (Piotrowski 2001)
($20 DF)
27”, 5.25” EMRe Ev, Tet, terminal Y + 2 branches, 28 buds. (Kathleen Salter X Kalutara).
Always a joy to see this one blooming, very often a bouquet of flowers when established. The color begins as pale yellow, getting even lighter in full sun as the day progresses, leaving a large yellow throat radiating out onto the petals. This one is named to honor all daylily hybridizers; the journey is often a long and winding odyssey full of missteps, surprises, and rewards. It’s my way of incorporating Homer’s much loved poems and my daylily passion!
Joe Beitel (Piotrowski 2019)
($30 DF)
39”- 45”, 4.25” Late Dor, Dip, terminal Y/W + 2 branches, 30-35 buds. (Global Warming X Holly Hill Fall Harvest)
This one is named for my friend Joe Beitel, who was a pteridologist/botanist/taxonomist and teacher at the New York Botanical Garden. Joe preferred the species daylilies over modern hybrids, so this gives you an idea of what I had in mind with this one. This daylily is especially fitting for Joe because one of its grandparents is Autumn Minaret (parent of Holly Hill Fall Harvest), which is one of Dr. Stout’s hybrids from the species. And as another tie-in, NYBG is where Dr. Stout did his pioneering work studying the sterility of daylilies and other plants. A good landscape daylily, these “plain” golden yellow flowers are a bright spot in the late garden.
Laurie Thorp (Piotrowski 2008)
($30 DF)
32”, 5”, MLa Sev, Tet, terminal Y + 2-3 branches, 25-30 buds. ((Liam x sdlg) X Earth Music). A medium violet color with watermark and pale petal edges. A solid performer for me out of Flying Carpet (Moldovan) breeding.
Patti Thorp (Piotrowski 2009)
($75 SF)
32”, 6” M Sev, Tet, terminal Y + 1-2 branches, 25 buds. (Trivia Pursuit X New Tangerine Twist).
Patti Thorp is another of my favorite intos, one of my best. It’s the color that I’m so pleased with…a rich, glowing orange-cream. The ruffled petals have raised ridges that intensify as the weather heats up. Lots of buds and lots of color on established plants.
Redclay Cabana Companion (Piotrowski 2019)
(A few single fans available @ $80 ea.)
45”, 6”, M Dor, Tet, terminal Y/W + 2 branches, 30 buds. (Orange Obsession X Buttered Popcorn).
This one is out of my own Orange Obsession and is a sib to Sweet Marmalade. It’s been nine years since its sib was registered and this one has been a constant companion at my little home (cabana) during that time. Tall and bright, the flower starts out as a golden-orange self with lighter midribs, but in full sun the color lightens on the segment edges, leaving a large glowing gold throat. Mature clumps in my garden send up nicely branched rebloom scapes in early September (see photo).
Redclay Kiss (Piotrowski 2009)
($30 DF)
28”, 5” EM Sev, Tet, terminal Y + 1 branch, 22 buds. (Rockola Red X (Just a Gigolo x (Fatal Impact x Ruffled Royalty))).
This is a wide petalled, nicely saturated red that to my eye is a little darker than medium red, but not quite what I’d call dark red. During warmer weather, a thin white edge appears on all segments. Color and flower form make this one of my favorite red intros.
Redclay Mystique (Piotrowski 2019)
($50 DF)
32”, 5.5”, M Sev, Tet, terminal Y/W + 1-2 branches, 30-35 buds. (Sleepy Hollow X (Fatal Impact x Ruffled Royalty)).
Another one that’s been in the seedling patch for a while. Some years I’d evaluate it and think, not special or distinctive enough. Other years, I’m simply be captivated by the color – and the color has won out. A subtle bitone, the flower is rather plain…it’s close to what back in the day we called tailored, meaning smooth segments with no ruffles, waves, or bunching along the petal edges. While it’s not exactly tailored (there is some ruffling), it is a pretty basic flower. The color starts out a slightly darker shade of lavender and lightens as the day progresses to a pastel lavender. The only one in the cross producing this shade of color, the rest were purple.
40", 6.5" EM Sev, Tet, terminal Y+1-2 branches, 23. ((Angie Alabama x Mark Janssens) X Blazing Lamp Sticks).
This plant has also been in the seedling patch for a few years. The brilliant color and taller scape make it standout among other daylilies.
Rockola Red (Piotrowski 2008)
($30 DF)
25”, 5.5” M Sev, Tet, terminal Y with occasional side branch, 14 buds. (Miss Sally X Crimes of Passion).
This is a bright red self with a small, triangular yellow to green throat. Like most reds, it benefits from some afternoon shade. But even in full sun, it bounces back nicely in the evening. This is out of my own Miss Sally, which has been a good red parent for me. And likewise, Rockola Red is a parent of Redclay Kiss and several futures. Check out the kids on the seedling page.
Sanity Clause (Piotrowski 2020)
($100 SF)
33", 5.5" EM Dor, Tet, terminal Y+1, 21 buds, EMO. (Rockola Red X ((Renegade Red x Arresting Red) x (Fatal Impact x Ruffled Royalty))).
Another great one out of Rockola Red. I consider Sanity Clause my best overall red. It's dormant so it has beautiful spring foliage, and is sunfast with brilliant color. The name is a tribute to my favorite Marx Brothers film, "A Night at the Opera". Only a few available.
Summer Alicia (Piotrowski 2006)
($30 DF)
35”-38”, 5” MRe Sev, Tet, terminal Y + 2-3 widely spaced branches, 20-25 buds. (Elegant Candy X Now and Zen).
Summer Alicia is one of my favorite intros. It increases quickly, has a pretty flower, looks great in a clump, the flowers open early, and because of the widely spaced branches the flowers open fully…and has some rebloom on established plants. The color is a pale peach-orange with a red eye and big yellow-green throat.
The Big Unknown (Piotrowski 2019)
(A few single fans available @ $80 ea.)
31”, 7.5” M Sev, Tet, terminal Y + 1-2 branches, 17-20 buds. (Unknown X Unknown).
I’ve been evaluating this seedling for a while and have decided to register it. My hesitation had been the inconsistent flower form, but seeing several of these big blossoms open at once is quite stunning. The flower is a lemon self; the petals are ruffled and rather well behaved, but the sepals seem to do their own thing…sometimes spread out, sometimes recurved. A fertile pollen parent, rather difficult pod setter. Although I’m not certain of the parents, the buds tend to “balloon” a little so I suspect it’s out of a Whatley yellow.
