Hemerocallis Strutters Ball - Daylily

Daylily or Hemerocallis 'Strutter's Ball' is a vigorous and floriferous variety, with a unique colour that stands out in the garden. This daylily displays large, velvety flowers, a truly shiny wine-red colour, glazed with silvery reflections, and marked with a pink halo around the yellow and green throat. Its flowering is long and abundant, in mid-season, and its foliage is deciduous. Awarded several times, this trouble-free perennial is a marvel whose success is guaranteed in ordinary, but fertile and not overly dry soil.

The Hemerocallis genus belongs to the Liliaceae family. These are perennial and hardy plants whose foliage is deciduous and sometimes semi-evergreen. The 'Strutter's Ball' variety is a tetraploid horticultural creation, dating back to 1984, awarded in 1989 and 1992. This perennial grows in a fairly dense clump that will reach 70 cm (28 in) in height, with a relative spread of 40-45 cm (16-18 in). Daylilies tend to spread a little when they like the location. The flowers, wide and very flared, measure about 15 cm (6 in) in diameter. The petals in this variety are wide and thick, with an undulating edge and slightly recurved backwards. They have a thick and very velvety texture, which reflects light beautifully, rather like a mirror. Each petal, crossed by a fine iridescent central line, is darker on the edge and marked with a pink-violet area around the throat. Each flower lasts no more than a day, but flowering is constantly renewed over a beautiful period between June and July. The stems are robust and adorned with numerous buds. The foliage is linear and deciduous. Daylilies are plants with short rhizomes and fleshy roots that tolerate dry soils, but are more opulent and more floriferous in fresh soil.

Very easy to grow, these plants thrive both in shade and in the sun. Some of them are prone to be invasive, so do not hesitate to divide the clumps every four or five years, preferably in autumn, after flowering. Daylilies are often called "the perfect perennial plant" because of their bright colours and their ability to tolerate any type of environment, but also due to their lack of modesty: they display a beautiful exuberance that goes well with other perennials. Plant them in generous clumps in the background of your borders. All summer bulb flowers can be planted together with daylilies. 'Strutter's Ball' is an interesting variety for its long flowering period that will accompany that of roses, perennial flax, erigerons, pink coneflowers, lilies or other daylilies in pink or white tones. It forms a striking display when combined with yellow red hot pokers (Kniphofia Minister Verschuur). On a balcony or terrace, large pots of at least 30 cm (12 in) deep should be used and dwarf varieties should be chosen. The flowers are edible: they brighten up salads and garnish desserts.