Need advice about cross pollination in daylilies?
Question:I have several types of daylilies. I want to keep their original colors true. I've heard that if they touch each other, then they could cross pollinate and aquire a new color. Is this true or an old wives tale?
Answers:
That's an old wives tale! Daylilies don't change colors by touching each other. They keep their original colors.
Cross polination occurs in the formation of the seed pod, which is the beginning of a new plant... not in the original plant. The parents plants don't change.
Your original plant can be divided into new plants that are true to the original. If you don't want to make a new hybrid, just pick off the flowers immediately after they've bloomed so they don't form seed pods.
Touching each other (above or below ground) will not change the original colors of your daylilies. What you have to watch out for is when certain daylilies get larger than the others or grow at a faster rate -- and start to crowd out daylilies that are of a different color.
Example: The now-naturalized orange daylily (single or double) will sooner or later move in on the newer varieties which have many colors. Love the orange ones but keep an eye on them. Trim them back away from the newer varieties.
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