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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #298581

Title: Evaluation of rust resistance on daylilies in the landscape

Author
item MICHAEL, ANDERSON - Coastal Research And Extension Center
item Pounders Jr, Cecil
item BLYTHE, EUGENE - Coastal Research And Extension Center

Submitted to: Annual Ornamental Field Day Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/23/2013
Publication Date: 10/30/2013
Citation: Michael, A., Pounders Jr, C.T., Blythe, E.K. 2013. Evaluation of rust resistance on daylilies in the landscape. Annual Ornamental Field Day Proceedings. 40:21.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.) are the most popular perennial in the Southern U.S. because they thrive in full sun, heat, humidity, and periods of dry weather. Daylilies are generally considered to be pest-free. However, a rust disease (Puccinia hemerocallidis), which was introduced into the U.S. on imported plants in 2000, has become a prevalent problem on daylilies in the lower South. Through the cooperation of a local nursery, we were able to evaluate a large landscape collection of approximately 500 newer clones which had not been sprayed with fungicides to prevent infection by daylily rust during the summer of 2013. The warm, damp summer of 2013 was ideal for spread of daylily rust. Plants were rated at the end of the summer on a 1 to 3 scale with 1 showing very little or no disease, 2 showing moderate infection (approximately 33% infected leaves), and 3 showing severe infection. Clones receiving a rating of 1 are reported here (Table 1) as a group worthy of further evaluation for resistance to daylily rust. Some of these clones may be more susceptible to the disease than a single rating might reveal. Planting rust-resistant daylily clones would eliminate the hassle and expense of spraying plants to prevent daylily rust.