Daylily 'Primal Scream'

Officially classified as an "unusual form," Primal Scream certainly takes that title and runs with it! The blooms reach 7½ to 8½ inches wide, conservatively, with a tangerine-orange base dusted with golden glints and highlights. Widely spaced, the long, narrow petals are heavily ruffled along the edges. To say that they're fascinating is really an understatement. They look unlike every other Daylily in the garden, and they'll have you rushing out to the garden every morning to see the newly-opened blooms!

Primal Scream is a midseason bloomer, reaching nearly 3 feet tall. It is a dormant tetraploid, which means it dies back in winter, then returns in spring. This is important for northern gardeners, because Daylilies that are semi-evergreen can often suffer damage during harsh winters. Not Primal Scream! And "tetraploid" simply means that it has twice the chromosomes of traditional Daylilies (many of today's newer varieties are tetraploid), which accounts for the large bloom size, brighter colors, and greater garden vigor. Altogether a first-class Daylily, absolutely one of a kind and magnificently beautiful. You've simply got to get it!

If you're new to Daylilies, welcome to the easiest perennial in the garden! They love sun but tolerate a bit of shade, and they need well-draining soil. Other than that, all bets are off -- these powerhouses thrive despite heat, humidity, drought, cold, poor soil, and just about anything else. Pamper them the first season to get their root system established: plenty of water, rich soil, all the nice little touches -- and then let them go. The only thing you'll have to do is divide them every once in a while as they spread. (After a few years, they'll begin to lose bloom strength if they aren't divided.) Dividing them is as easy as a whack of the shovel, so that's no problem. Try Daylilies among your Daffodils -- they hide the dying foliage of the Daffodils and follow them in bloom, keeping the garden colorful for two seasons instead of just one. They are also nice friends to Bearded Iris, among many, many others.

Primal Scream is going to sell out, so please order early! Zones 3-9.