Orange Smoothie

Daylily

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'When My Sweetheart Returns'

Summary: The plants of 'Orange Smoothie' are smaller than those of 'When My Sweetheart Returns'. The leaf of 'Orange Smoothie' is shorter than the leaf of 'When My Sweetheart Returns'. The plants of 'Orange Smoothie' flower mid-season while those of 'When My Sweetheart Returns' flower early in the season. The flowering scape of 'Orange Smoothie' is shorter than that of 'When My Sweetheart Returns'. The inner side of the perianth of 'Orange Smoothie' is yellow orange to light yellow orange transitioning to lighter yellow orange at the margin while the perianth of 'When My Sweetheart Returns' is lighter yellow orange fading to an even lighter yellow orange. The eye zone of the perianth of 'Orange Smoothie' is orange while the eye zone of 'When My Sweetheart Returns' is dark pink red. The apex of the perianth lobe of 'Orange Smoothie' is strongly reflexed while that of 'When My Sweetheart Returns' is weakly reflexed. The margin of the perianth lobe of 'Orange Smoothie' is ruffled with a strong degree of waviness while the margin of the perianth lobe of 'When My Sweetheart Returns' has a medium degree of waviness.

Description:

PLANT: vegetatively propagated perennial, arching growth habit, no branching

LEAF: arranged in basal fans, linear shape, broadest part at middle, concave in cross-section, acute apex, entire margin, no variegation, medium green on upper side, absent or weak undulation of the margin

FLOWERING PERIOD: begins mid-season, more than one to almost continuous, long
PEDUNCLE: medium green
FLOWER: simple type on flowering scape, many, erect to horizontal attitude, single type
PEDICEL: short, medium green
PERIANTH: funnel shaped in lateral view,
PERIANTH (INNER SIDE): yellow orange to light yellow orange (RHS 22A/B) to lighter yellow orange (RHS 22C) near margin, eye is orange (RHS 30D to 28B/C), throat is yellow orange (RHS 13C) to dark green (RHS 143B)
PERIANTH (OUTER SIDE): light yellow orange (RHS 22C)
LOBE: broad ovate, rounded apex, apex is strongly reflexed, strong degree of waviness along margin
BRACT: medium to large, light green to medium green
FILAMENT: medium length, yellow orange
ANTHER: yellow brown
POLLEN: yellow orange
STYLE: long, yellow orange
STIGMA: light green to light yellow

Origin & Breeding History: 'Orange Smoothie' was originally line bred in 2000 between proprietary female parent variety '95-104-2' and proprietary male parent variety '96-20-5'. Seed was collected from individual female plants in early 2000 at Walters Gardens, Inc. in Zeeland, Michigan, USA and sown by Chris Meyer in Zeeland, Michigan, USA in late 2000. Initial selections of 'Orange Smoothie' were made in spring 2002 based on its compact plant growth habit, flower colour and length of flowering period. 'Orange Smoothie' was asexually propagated through divisions of the rhizomes in the spring of 2003.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial of 'Orange Smoothie' was conducted outdoors under a shade cloth during the summer of 2018 in Oxford Station, Ontario. The trial included a total of 20 plants each of the candidate and reference variety individually grown in 16 cm plastic pots spaced 40 cm apart. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants, or parts of plants, of each variety on August 9, 2018. All colour determinations were made using the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'Orange Smoothie' with reference variety 'When My Sweetheart Returns'

Plant height, top of foliage (cm)

Plant width (cm)

Leaf blade length (cm)

Leaf blade width (cm)

Flowering scape length (cm)

Colour of perianth (RHS)

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Daylily: 'Orange Smoothie' (left) with reference variety 'When My Sweetheart Returns' (right)

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Daylily: 'Orange Smoothie' (left) with reference variety 'When My Sweetheart Returns' (right)