Eyed And Patterned Daylilies

The eyes of daylilies developed from members of the species that had dark eyes in the flowers. Since then, hybridizers have made remarkable and dramatic changes in eye zone characteristics. Along the way, they have altered other details of the flower to create fascinating patterns within the bloom.

The size of the eye ranges from a very narrow band to covering most of the petal. The shape of the eye has been altered, creating triangular or chevron shaped as well as square eyes. Eye color has also been modified until many different eye zone colors now exist. In fact, the only blue color currently found in the daylily exists within the eye zone. The colors of the eye have also been intensified to make striking, dark, saturated near-blacks as well as vivid blood-reds. Efforts to clarify the background color of the petal self have complemented the intensified colors of the eye, increasing the contrast within the flower.

In addition to the solid eyes, hybridizers have worked toward increasing the complexity of the flower by forming patterns within the eye zone or elsewhere in the flower. Some hybrids break the eye into separate bands, either of the same color or differing colors. Other complex eyes encompass different colored veining within the eye. Some seem to bleed out into the petal self. Many patterns have a washed or faded appearance within the eye. The array of complex patterns emerging within modern daylilies seems to be never-ending.

The eye zone colors have also been painted along the petal edges to create a pattern called picotee. These picotee edges first appeared as a small wire of color extending from the eye zone as it touched the petal edge. Hybridizing efforts gradually pushed the eye zone color increasingly further around the petal edge, until it formed an edge of dark contrasting color completely surrounding the flower petals. The vast majority of daylilies with picotee edges have eyes that match the picotee color, but a few hybrids contain a darker edge without an eye. These picotee edges without an accompanying eye are currently not as dark, dramatic, or contrasting as those found on flowers with eyes. Hybridizers are striving to create flowers with more dramatic contrasting picotee edges without a dark eye zone.

Picotee edges have been increased in width, and more recently they have been surrounded by secondary edges of silver, gold, and white. This complexity has created a stunning and sometimes shocking effect in the modern hybrids. In some the eyes have become so large and the edges so wide that little petal self remains visible. Stippled or plicata eyes have also begun to appear in several hybridizing programs. These daylilies have petal color made of dots or splotches rather than a solid color. Stippling or plicata patterns are most commonly darker dots or splotches on a lighter petal background color. Stippling can cover the entire petal or can be confined to the eye zone. Hybridizers also have spent efforts on altering the color of the petal edges and throats. Darker (or picotee) petal edges are very popular, but a number of cultivars have lighter petal edges, particularly reds with lighter rose or pink edges. An iridescent cast, sometimes referred to as appliqué, has been developed in the throat.

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