Hemerocallis 'Joan Senior'

Hemerocallis 'Joan Senior': Nearly White and Winning Everywhere

Creamy near-white, lightly ruffled and lime-green at the throat, this daylily looks like it was dressed by a tailor. Add a sweet fragrance and a rebloom, and it's the full package. CLASSY WITHOUT TRYING.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hemerocallis 'Joan Senior'
• Common Name: Daylily
• Height: 60–65 cm (24–25 in) in flower
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Flowers: Creamy near white with a lime-green throat, lightly ruffled and recurved, about 15 cm (6 in) across, fragrant
• Bloom Time: Midsummer, with rebloom in good conditions (July to August)
• Foliage: Arching, grass-like green leaves; an evergreen type
• Features: Reblooming, fragrant

Where to Plant: Use it to cool down a hot colour scheme or as the anchor of an all-white or moon garden. It sits nicely in the middle of a border, especially in groups of three, and it takes clay soil.

Companion Plants: Symphyotrichum laeve rises behind the white daylily with lavender asters from August to October. Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud' fills the front with blue flowers from June to September. Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina' adds pink flowers with darker veins from June to September on 60 to 120 cm stems. Grow the group in full sun or part sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in average, well-drained soil. More sun means more flowers and a better chance of rebloom. Water well the first season, and give it a drink during long dry spells in summer. Because it's an evergreen type, the leaves can look tattered after a cold winter. Trim off the damaged foliage in early spring and fresh leaves will follow. Remove spent flowers and cut finished stems to the base. Divide every four or five years in spring or early fall. Daylilies are toxic to cats.

History: 'Joan Senior' is a diploid with single flowers, credited to hybridizer Durio and registered in 1977. The American Hemerocallis Society gave it an Honorable Mention, an Award of Merit and, in 1990, the Lenington All-American Award, which recognizes daylilies that perform well across many regions of the United States.

Final Thoughts: Plant it with dark purples and hot reds and let it referee. Drought tolerant once established. ELEGANCE, ON REPEAT.