Wild April

Here’s an interesting story for you: Wild April was originally registered with the AHS in 2000, by Ron Valente, himself. But, because Wild April was proving to be a rather slow-to-increase cultivar, there was no stock available for retail sale, immediately. So … Ron decided not to formally introduce Wild April in the 2000 Valente Garden’s catalog. And, somehow, at that, Wild April got “shuffled” a bit, and this absolute beauty was never “officially” introduced to the “Daylily Public - until we proudly unveiled it in 2007.

This gorgeous, highly colorful flower brings to mind a huge scoop of refreshing fruit sherbet! Wild April gives forth a 6 1/2” flower, firmly held above the foliage, on sturdy 32” scapes that support a minimum bud count of 18 per scape – all on three-way branching. The blossom is distinctively round in shape, with both petals and sepals generously recurving. The petals are nearly half again as wide as are the sepals.

The delightful, salmon-peach self coloration (RHS 29D) t is carried strongly on both the petals and the sepals, and it's set off brilliantly by a substantial, jaunty, rose-red eye (RHS 47B) - which suddenly shifts tone to a buttery yellow (RHS 6C), and then, again, transforms itself into a lovely, light yellow-to-green (RHS 143B) as it proceeds downward into the throat. Plus, the gently ruffed petals are delicately “completed” by a distinctive gold wire edge.

The sturdy, lanceolate foliage is somewhat plentiful, and it is a rich, medium green (RHS 135B). It is consistently strong and nearly streak-free.

Wild April blooms in mid-season in East Central Illinois - for most of July – and - if we have a mild Fall – we’ve seen it rebloom in mid-September! The blossoms exude a light, sweet fragrance for most of the bloom day. It is fertile as both a pollen parent and a pod parent – and, in Winter, it becomes semi-evergreen.

Ron created this cultivar, 96-47-1, by crossing Wild Mustang with April In Paris.

Wild April is a significantly sturdy hybrid that has grown heartily for us, here in the MidWest. Throughout it’s blossom day, the flowers remain surface-reflective and physically firm, with no edge wilt seen in 100-degree, direct sun, with 80% humidity. The only color-fade is a slight loss of green in the throat as the day progresses. From opening until dusk, this plant provides superior garden value.