Strangelily

[Tom]

I hesitate to even show this, because every time I open my mouth, I show how little I know about daylilies. But I was wandering about today and found something I thought was strange. Now, you folks who do lots of daylily stuff, and know the names of all these plants, and all their pieces and parts are probably just going to laugh at me, but here we go.

At first you may think why is this old guy showing us a picture of this common scrawny little flower. But if you look carefully you will see that it is a proliferation on the side of a brown scape that is blooming. This may be a common thing, but it's the first time I've ever seen it and was wondering if it was of any interest to the rest of you. If not, that’s OK.

[Rebecca]

Tom,

Great photo! I love it when the proliferations bloom on the scape! I had a lot of it happen last year, but none at all this year although I have been getting a few proliferations.

When this bloom is done check the "mother scape" for any green tissue, if there's still some on the scape, leave the prolif alone, but keep watch on it. Once the scape has turned completely brown you can cut the prolif off leaving a few inches of the old scape on it for support. You can either plant it in the ground near the mother plant or pot it up. Keep it moist, but not soggy-wet and it should root and begin to grow.

Sometimes a prolif that blooms doesn't have enough strength left to continue and grow, and they eventually die. It was still a pretty cool thing to see one produce a bloom while still attached to the mother scape!

Thank you for sharing that with the group!


Rebecca

[vicki]

Tom,
Sure looks strange to me, too! Never noticed any prolifs on my plants before. Something to watch out for, now that they're blooming.

[Ann B.]

Vicki,

I was told that some daylilies are more prone to have proliferations than others. I also think that the various climates can encourage or discourage them.

I have some on scapes, still green and growing, but no roots in sight. And I wonder, is it my climate? It can't be the humidity because goodness knows that we have it.

I am trying to get some to grow roots in water, but I've got to tell you that once those scapes are almost all brown, the water turns murky in less than a day. So be prepared to change the water often.

I'm still watching for a sign of roots.

[vicki]

Ann,
Was wondering if you could bend the scape down into a pot of soil, pin it down as in layering, do you think it would root that way?
As I don't think I've seen a scape on my plants before, never concerned myself with it. But love to learn something new everyday!

[Rebecca]

Ann,

Once the scape has turned all brown and the prolif still hasn't rooted, try just potting it up. Keep the mix moist and in a fairly warm spot, I'm actually thinking, set the pot in a gallon sized zip lock bag and set it where it will get bright light but NO SUN, and the prolif should root pretty quick. Applying a little rooting hormone wouldn't hurt either.

Vicki,

The only problem with that is that the scapes are fairly brittle by the time a prolif is big enough to strike roots and it could easily break.


I wait until I at least see roots trying to form and then I cut them off, leaving a few inches of scape above and below, and just pot them up. Large proliferations can bloom the following season, but most will take a couple of years to grow big and strong enough to be able to bloom.

My LT# 12 put out two "cluster" proliferations last season and they have grown very well this year. One is a bit taller and huskier than the other so it may bloom next year, but the other may take another season before it will be ready to bloom. The mother plant was doing good to just produce a couple of sorry looking blooms this season; that's what I get for dividing it! It'll be much better next year, but then evaluation begins in earnest. I have one, possibly two more crosses to do with it, but if any of it's seedlings from last season's crosses bloom next year, I may just out cross to them and save myself a step or three!

"Cluster" prolifs are what I call multiple fans developing on the same scape bract axis.


Rebecca

[Ann B.]

Rebecca,

I think that potting it up is the only way that will work for me. I am just not very good at the water thing. I say that knowing there is a five gallon bucket filled with roots on a cutting of the Confederate rose from my Mom's old house. LAS! Well, at least there are a few things that will root for me in water. When I look at it, I keep thinking "That is why they call the 'swamp' hibiscus."

Oh! I actually have a little baggie with seeds from a not so desireable daylily that are sprouting with just a tiny drop of water in the bag. It's amazing. There is no mold. They just keep growing. I didn't try any peroxide. I wanted to see how the roots formed and watch the process of them sprouting.

That I have done. Some have leaves that are almost an inch long and they look good despite no soiless mix.

Gee! I can do that, but I can't get proliferations to root on the plant or in water...

Back to potting, I go!