Daylily Seeds

I don't grow Daylilies, so I have no idea what the seeds look like.

I've just got some seeds in a trade that were supposed to be lilies, but they aren't. They're shiny, round and black, similar to Dictamnus. Could they be Daylilies?

Yup. Sounds like daylily seeds to me.

They are easy to start. They should be prechilled in the refrigerator. If you just got them hopefull the sender has already done this. If not they need 3-4 weeks chilling. I read different times for chilling from different people, so you might even see places saying 6 weeks. Longer is ok and if you are not ready to plant I would suggest putting in the fridge, but not near any fruit and not the freezer. The crisper suits just fine.

Puttyrat

Thanks - nice to know I have!

I started 6 varieties this winter and they are over 6 inches tall and sturdy.
good luck... it is possible and not too hard.
merry

Yes, black and round little seeds, sometimes they dry out a bit and look shriveled a bit, but those are daylillies. I have several of my daylillies setting seed right now. Just a hobby I have. I like to set seed to everything in the yard. The seedlings are where the excitement is, never knowing if the seedling is going to be extraordinary or not. I am one who would rather have seeds than a plant as the plant is only good to set seed to create something new.
Sincerely,
Brugmansia

How do you retrieve daylily seeds? I'm sure this is a silly question to most of you but after my daylilies bloom, the blooms fall off and there is nothing left but a stalk. Where are the seeds??? Thanks, Susan

Kidi,
You have to hand pollinate daylillies to get seed. Provided you hand pollinate early in the morning as soon as the pollen ripens or you have collected and frozen pollen you should have no problem setting seed on your daylillies in cooler weather. I pollinate my daylillies the day before they open. Daylilly hybrids are sometimes viable only one way for seed. This means the pollen is exceptionally good, but the plant may not set seed itself very easily. Other times the pollen from a daylilly hybrid is not very good, but the plant itself sets seed very easily. Pulling the calyx back the day before a bloom to apply pollen works great or sometimes simply looking for the pistal to extend itself out of the top of the flower before it opens to pollinate it.
hope that helps,
Brugmansia

Yes, that helps me a lot. Thanks!
Susan

I have read that you have to hand pollinate the Daylilies but, I'm new to daylilies and have not done any hand pollinating yet. Yesterday I went out to look at the Stella De Oro plants in front of my house and found that one had a seed pod that had already cracked open and had one seed in it. I'm assuming that nature worked it's magic and some unsuspecting insect did the job for me. Anyway the seed now occupies a sealed baggie in the crisper in my refrigerator. I'll try my hand at it some more this year without help from the insects.

Stella d'oro is a fantastic pod parent, and seems to set seed from any pollen daubed on it. I have obtained some very nice hybrids this way, often with the reblooming characteristic of its more famous parent. John

Also if the bloom (actually the stigma) gets wet, it won't accept pollen. That's why Brugmansias way works. You can also turn a paper cup over the bud the day before it opens to keep water off the bloom. If you wait too late in the day after they open, the bees have stolen all the pollen and there's not any left to get. Sometimes the bees polinate the flowers for you.
Cala