The Stout Silver Metal
& Other Daylily Awards

Daylily breeders are a prolific group and they have introduced thousands of new cultivars in just the last ten years. How does a gardener make sense of all the choices? One good way is to follow the lead of the people in the know. The American Hemerocallis (daylily) Society is a national organization open to breeders, home gardeners and anyone who is partial to this outstanding group of plants. Members of the society vote annually to present awards to the best daylilies within various classes. Below are a few of the top awards.

Stout Silver Metal

This top award is presented to the daylily cultivar that is deemed the best of breed for a given year. Competition is stiff. The award carries the name of Dr. A. B. Stout, the "Father of the Modern Daylily", and a breeding pioneer who worked for more than fifty years from the early to mid 1900's to develop the colors and form we think of as typical for daylilies.

Donn Fisher Memorial Cup

This is an award that recognizes the year's most outstanding miniature daylily. To qualify the cultivar must have blooms that are less than 3" in diameter.

Annie T. Giles Award

Like the above award this is bestowed upon varieties with smaller flowers, in this case, blooms that are 3-4-1/2" in diameter. One daylily receives this citation each year.

Award of Merit

The Award of Merit is given to ten cultivars annually, ones that have demonstrated distinction, beauty and proven performance over wide geographic ranges.

Honorable Mention

This award is given for excellent quality and performance beyond the regional level.

If you can't decide between several cultivars, metal winners are always good choices because people who have reviewed hundreds or thousands of varieties have evaluated them. Of course, you should always follow your heart and grow the cultivars you deem most beautiful. It's hard to go wrong with daylilies.

← Previous Post Next Post →