Hemerocallis 'Always Afternoon'

The flowers are simply magnificent, with substantial petals (that hold up to sun well) of dark rosy-pink with a rich plum eyezone and lime-green throat. They arise heavily early in the season (late spring or early summer, depending how far north you live), then rest for many weeks and stage a big comeback in late summer, just when the rest of the garden is packing it in for the season! I really enjoy this rebloom -- it's not a token flush of flowers, but a big, full season of color!

When it was introduced in 1997, Always Afternoon immediately won the Stout Silver Medal, the highest award given to a Daylily in this country. The honor came not only for the gorgeous flowers and their ability to bloom twice a year, but for the vigor of this compact little plant. Just 22 inches tall and 2 feet wide, Always Afternoon is a totally dormant tetraploid, meaning that it has twice the chromosome power of common diploids, AND the ability to go completely dormant in winter, thus surviving subzero temperatures without damage. If you live on the fringes of Dayliliees' hardiness range and have struggled with other varieties, Always Afternoon won't let you down!

Like most Daylilies, Always Afternoon is wonderfully resistant to drought, heat, and humidity, and thrives in any soil, even those of poor fertility. It can be sheared mercilessly in late fall, only to return with fresh beauty in spring. Very long-lived and as tough as nails, it is one of the few perennials that I would truly call care-free. Wonderfully versatile, this Daylily looks terrific among lighter-colored varieties such as Paper Butterfly, and makes a fine companion to dark purple Bela Lugosi.

Space plants 22 inches apart in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, and water well the first year to get them established. Zones 3-9.