Betscher’s Hemerocallis 
The Perennial Supreme 
A bit of history. Many years ago in our garden were Hemerocallis, Flava - Fulva - Kwanzo. 
As a boy they appealed to me—the older I became the more so. About the time I began 
the florist business, Aureole, Dr. Regale, (Dumorteri, etc^, were new to me and added to my 
list. We began to breed these in a small way for a number of generations, selecting the 
few very best, destroying the rest. After a number of generations they began to show much 
better ones. As they became better our work with breeding them was greatly increased. 
Certain factors in breeding were noted, then changes in methods gave us far better newer 
seedlings and some big surprises. Again, work with them was liberally increased, securing, 
continuing and bettering results. 
When Bay State, J. A. Crawford, Lernona, The Cem, Mrs. W. H. Wyman, etc. came into 
bloom our ambition was for still better ones. 
TSText came Anna Betscher, Golden Dream, Mrs. Austin, Donald Wyman and many still 
under numbers. Many of these are very fine and will be sent out next fall or in 1936. 
In 1929 we did a great lot of bleeding, resulting in a very fine crop of seeds. The very 
severe dryness ruined many of these seedlings, the remainder came into fine bloom in 1934, 
again a very dry year. However, when these came into bloom many were very much larger 
and in much better colors, far more beautiful colorings. A season of blooming from May 
15th until freezing conditions in fall destroys them. Many buds normally would bloom into 
November. Above all, many very beautiful ones with better colors and shades, much larger 
6-8 inch blooms. Some dwarfs, some taller, etc. but above all surprises were the pure 
whites—a real sensation! Imagine such a long season of beauty, a change day by day all 
summer and fall—150 to 175 days and in the south much longer. Many show bloom several 
times and we predict true everblcomers ultimately. 
In 1934 we crossed them thru-cut the entire season and will obtain blooms far superior to 
all previous ones. All buyers will acclaim them ‘'The Perennial Supreme” because of their 
manifold uses and values. 
Hemerocallis may be forced, same care as Narcissus, thus late sorts can be had weeks 
earlier than their natural time of blooming. When a clump is done blooming it may be dug 
up carefully and replaced with one coming into bloom. This idea folio-wed thru the season 
will give a whole summer of bloom at one spot in the garden. This is a very desirable 
factor when one may have flowers of them from May into October. Most of them are very 
hardy from Manitoba south. 
Planting may be done anytime soil is unfrozen. Selected when in bloom, they can be dug 
and replanted anytime. They may be divided any time desirable. Growing from seeds— 
plant as soon as ripe or late fall or early spring, about one inch deep and about 2x2 inches 
apart, cover with burlap until they come up, leave for two years, then replant 4 inches 
deep and as far apart as desired. Cover first tw'O winters in seed bed with leaves, straw or 
burlap; Some will bloom the third or fourth year. 
