Six New Daylily Introductions for Fall 2026 at Dooley Gardens

There is something incredibly rewarding about reaching the point in a hybridizing program when a seedling is finally ready to have a name and be shared with other gardeners.

Every growing season brings thousands of new seedlings to admire, but some have a way of making you stop and look a little longer. Maybe it’s an unexpected pattern, an unusual form, or a combination of colors that feels entirely different from anything else in the garden. Those are the moments that make daylily hybridizing so exciting to me.

This fall, I’m proud to introduce six new daylilies from Dooley Gardens here in Limerick, Maine. They represent several different directions in my breeding program, from intricate patterned eyes and unusual flower forms to softer, elegant blooms and double blooms. Two of these introductions also carry names that are especially personal to me. I’m excited to finally share them with you.

Some flowers deserve names that carry a little more meaning, and My Mom Margaret is one of them. I named this daylily in honor of my mother, Margaret. She’s a strong, free-spirited woman who has always had a way of helping others recognize their own potential. I wanted to honor that spirit with a flower that has a remarkable presence of its own.

My Mom Margaret is a midseason tetraploid with 33-inch scapes and four-way branching and at 7.5 inches, this is the largest bloom in my fall introduction collection, and there is plenty to take in.

The petals are a beautiful pink-lavender blend, but the real excitement happens toward the center. An enormous violet-blue patterned eye extends across the flower, filled with darker purple veining and surrounded by a magenta margin. Along the petal edges, violet-purple and cream-silver ruffling adds another layer of contrast.

It’s a flower with two distinct personalities. There is a softness to its coloring, but the dramatic eye and elaborate edges give it an unmistakable intensity.

Matu Heart of the Bear is another introduction with a deeply personal meaning. This flower is dedicated to my father, whom my kids call Matu. Its name reflects the strength, connection to nature, and sense of spirit that I associate with him.

The bloom itself has a strong presence, with rich, dark rose-red coloring and a beautiful double form. A lighter rose-cream watermark softens the center of the flower, while a narrow cream-gold edge provides a subtle finishing detail. The yellow-green throat introduces another point of contrast.

At 6 inches, the flower has enough size to command attention, but I particularly appreciate the depth created by its additional double form petals.

Matu Heart of the Bear is a midseason tetraploid with semi-evergreen foliage, 28-inch scapes, and three-way branching.

There’s something meaningful about being able to create a living tribute through a flower. Long after its first bloom, the name remains, carrying a little of the person and the story that inspired it. This is one I’m especially proud to share.

Crowned in Courage takes us in a completely different direction. Most gardeners are familiar with daylilies that catch your attention through bold colors, dramatic eyes, or elaborate ruffled edges. This flower is interesting for an entirely different reason: its structure.

The 6-inch blooms open in gentle peach-cream tones with a yellow throat transitioning into green. At first glance, the coloring is almost understated. Then you notice what’s happening in the center.

Pronounced cristate growth creates raised yellow ridges and projections emerging from the petals. Depending on the individual flower, these formations can resemble little crowns or flames reaching outward from the throat. That sculptural character makes Crowned in Courage fascinating to observe, particularly because the expression can vary between blooms.

It’s an unusual-form diploid with dormant foliage, midseason flowering, and 33-inch scapes.

One of the things I enjoy most about hybridizing is discovering flowers that challenge my expectations of what a daylily can look like. Crowned in Courage is a wonderful example of that.

Not every introduction needs an enormous patterned eye or an unusual form to be memorable. Ivory Afterglow is a reminder of how much beauty can come from simplicity and balance. The flowers open in soft ivory and cream, with a warm yellow glow developing toward the center and finishing in a green throat. A narrow gold ruffle traces the petal edges, giving the entire bloom just enough definition.

There is also a delicate diamond-dusted quality to the flower, adding a gentle shimmer when the light catches the petals.

What I particularly appreciate about Ivory Afterglow is how all those elements work together. Nothing feels overpowering. The broad petals, subtle texture, refined edging, and soft coloring create a flower that is elegant without being overly complicated.

At 5.5 inches, Ivory Afterglow is a fragrant, early-midseason tetraploid with dormant foliage and 31-inch scapes.

For gardeners who appreciate creamy whites, warm golds, and beautifully finished petal edges, this introduction offers something quite different from the more dramatic members of the collection.

Some daylilies look remarkably consistent every time they open. Burst of Mischief has a unique mood for every bloom.

The flowers feature rich rose-pink coloring surrounding a large, dark plum-purple eyezone. At the center, a brilliant green throat provides a striking contrast. The real character comes from the flower’s form.

One bloom might open with broad, gently recurved petals. Another may twist, curl, or quill much more dramatically. The sepals can recurve strongly, giving the flower a sense of movement and an appearance that changes from one bloom to the next. That variability is part of what makes it so enjoyable to grow and observe.

Burst of Mischief is a 6-inch diploid with 37-inch scapes, four-way branching, and approximately 25 buds. It’s an early-midseason bloomer that reblooms.

I have always appreciated flowers that offer something interesting beyond their color. Burst of Mischief brings that sense of discovery every time a new bloom opens. It seemed only fitting to give it a name with a little attitude.

Rose Gold Reverie brings a warmer, more romantic color palette to this group of introductions. The 5.5-inch flowers feature rich rose-pink tones with a softer cream-pink watermark. Pale midribs draw light through the petals, while heavily ruffled edges are outlined in a narrow cream-to-gold margin.

Toward the center, the coloring transitions into a yellow-green throat. The bloom is also diamond dusted, adding another dimension to its surface when viewed in sunlight.

What I love about this flower is how its colors seem to work together. The rose, cream, and gold tones create a warm overall impression, but there is plenty of fine detail to appreciate when you get closer.

Rose Gold Reverie is a fragrant, mid-late season tetraploid with semi-evergreen foliage and 30-inch scapes.

It’s a flower that doesn’t depend on dramatic contrast or unconventional form. Instead, its appeal comes from the richness of its color, the beautiful ruffling, and the overall balance of the bloom.

One of the questions I enjoy discussing with visitors is what actually goes into creating a new daylily. The initial cross is only the beginning.

Hybridizing gives us the opportunity to combine characteristics from different parents, but there is no guarantee that the resulting seedlings will develop the qualities we’re hoping to see. That’s part of what makes it so interesting.

Each seedling represents another possibility. Some produce beautiful flowers but don’t necessarily have the overall qualities I’m looking for. Others surprise me with a color combination, pattern, or form that wasn’t what I expected. And then, occasionally, something comes along that feels worth pursuing.

At Dooley Gardens, I don’t want to select plants based on a single beautiful photograph. Flower appearance matters, of course, but so does the plant behind it. Branching, bud count, flowering habits, plant vigor, and overall garden performance all contribute to whether a seedling deserves further consideration.

Growing in southern Maine adds another important perspective. Our seasons are relatively short, and winter brings conditions that make evaluating garden performance especially meaningful. A beautiful flower is exciting. A beautiful flower supported by a plant I’m confident putting my name on is what I’m working toward. That’s the ongoing goal of the Dooley Gardens hybridizing program.