Daylily: Hemerocallis Alabama Jubilee
Daylily’s, which are most commonly known as Hemerocallis which means “beautiful for a day” (Charlotte’s Daylily Diary – Daylily History). That is translated in the Greek language because daylily’s only bloom for one day. These beautiful plants were found around Asia in the 16th century. They were then introduced to America in the early 17th century. The pioneers enjoyed this perennial so much because it was easy to maintain and rarely gets bothered by diseases or insects. The Eastern North American countrymen called these Hemerocallis ‘roadside weeds’ (Charlotte’s Daylily Diary – Daylily History).
The ‘roadside weeds’ are now known as Tawny daylily and Lemon daylily. The Alabama Jubilee became a hybrid of these original plants. The plant height gets to be about 24 inches while the flower gets to be 3 inches alone. It best grows in zone 3A but adapts to most dry and moist soils. It can either be planted in full sunlight or partial. In ideal conditions, Alabama Jubilee can live up to 10 years. Even though the flower only blooms for a day, it is easy to cut and the leaves stay green all year around. The flower is an orange, yellow trumpet like flower that is scented. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. (Alabama Jubilee Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Alabama Jubilee’) at Meadows Farms Nurseries)
What attracts the insects is the color. You want to clean it up at the end of spring so that it can thrive in its season. This daylily is an herbaceous perennial that grows tall flower stalks on top of a mound of foliage. The foliage is finely texture, which sets it apart from other foliage. It is recommended for these types of landscapes: ‘general garden use, mass planting, and/or groundcover’ (Alabama Jubilee daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Alabama Jubilee’) at Meadows Farms Nurseries).
This is why it is perfect to put at Reiman Gardens. It is placed in a bed right before the Children’s Garden. Even though its meaning is ‘beautiful for a day’ it is beautiful all season long to me. It reminds me of Iowa State’s colors and makes me appreciate that we have it in our Gardens.
Sources:
“Alabama Jubilee Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Alabama Jubilee’) at Meadows Farms Nurseries.” Meadows Farms Nurseries Plant Finder. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2016.
“Charlotte’s Daylily Diary – Daylily History.” Charlotte’s Daylily Diary – Daylily History. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2016.
