Joining the growing family of All-American daylilies are the newly announced 2006 winners: ‘Buttered Popcorn,’ a vibrant gold that won in the landscape category and performs like a “large bloomed Stella de Oro,” and ‘Persian Market,’ a salmon-pink stunner, winning in the exhibition category. There are now 14 hardy and beautiful daylilies that have been awarded the coveted All-American title for their scientifically proven superior performance nationwide. The All-American Daylily Selection council (AADSC) began its test program in 1985 and awarded its first All-American title in 1994.

‘Buttered Popcorn’ is a golden beauty that resembles Stella de Oro in its nearly continuous blooming, but with large, buttery-gold blooms crowing sturdy 28- to 33-inch scapes, from mid-season into fall and up until frost. The lush foliage is 24 inches tall by 30 inches wide and quickly becomes self-shading for better weed control in the landscape. This sturdy, spectacular perennial blooms an average of 97 days per year, is heat tolerant, cold hardy, disease resistant and thrives in the sun, guaranteeing a stunning and foolproof addition to anyone’s garden.

‘Persian Market,’ a large, showy salmon-pink with rose halo, is a robust performer that produces loads of buds for an exceptionally long bloom in several zones. The blooms are 6 ½ to 7 inches across, striking salmon pink in color accented by a rose halo and perched atop 25- to 30-inch scapes. They float about 6 inches above the foliage for a particularly dramatic presentation. This hardy variety blooms an average of 90 days per year, is easy to grow and does beautifully as a boarder, ground cover or in containers.

The title “All American Daylily” is not just an award granted to the prettiest cultivar, but rather given only to those rare daylily varieties that have demonstrated superior performance in dozens of criteria across at least five USDA hardiness zones. The AADSC All-American Daylily Award differs from others in that its results are based on rigorous scientific methodology. Since 1989, AADSC has operated a network of daylily test sites throughout the United States and has collected data on over 50 performances, characteristics so that consumers can purchase All-American daylilies with confidence, knowing that these low-mainteannce, high impact, sun-loving beauties will thrive in their backyard beds, front-walk borders or sundeck containers.

In 2001, rust resistance was added as one of the key test criteria. In selecting for “bulletproof” performance, the AADSC has eliminated many of the highly susceptible varieties from its program and focused on identifying and promoting the most rust-resistant daylily varieties. The 2006 All-American varieties are tied and true cultivars whose test scores earned them the AADSC’s top honor. These winners offer a unique combination of beauty, performance and flexibility, making them a guaranteed success in any garden.

The new 2006 All-American daylilies will be widely available, along with the other dozen All-Americans in spring 2006 at garden centers nationwide.