WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT US AND OUR DAYLILIES 
Excerpt from an article in The Houston Press, Friday, June 16, 1944 
H. M. Russell Farm Writes Horticultural History 
with Variety of New Lilies 
H. M. Russell at the Russell Daylily farm near 
Spring, only 23 miles from Houston, has been making 
history in the horticultural world with many of his 
new hybrids. His new achievement is to make the 
Daylily forget its habit of closing up for the night. 
At his farm with more than a million plants all 
nodding in the sunshine and showing a wide range of 
colors, there are many lilies named for Houstonians. 
The Mrs. B. F. Bonner, produced in 1942, is one 
of the finest lilies. It has a pale yellow shade and 
has been pronounced by authorities to excel the 
splendid Hyperion, so well known in the Daylily 
world. Its bloom is large and holds well, appearing 
profusely in May and June. 
The Pride of Houston has dark mahogany-red 
petals with almost black eye zone. The throat is deep 

orange with the sepals a lighter shade. The Black 
Prince is so dark initsred thatit appears almost black. 
The Purple Flash, Purple Sage, Purple Waters 
bespeak their colorings in their names with Santa 
Fe, Juarez, Twinkle, San Felipe having red shad- 
ings. Some of the lilies are bi-colored; some have 
ruffled petals. There are so many variations that 
it is almost unbelievable that they have been hy- 
bridized from the old-fashioned “Custard Lily,” 
found in Southern gardens. 
The true value of the Daylilies is their hardiness. 
They will flourish under a varied range of soil and 
climatic conditions. Wet or dry, acid or lime, sun 
or shade, sand or clay, these lilies will hold their 
own and will continue to grow in clumps for many 
years without any special culture. 
Excerpt from an article by Marguerite Palmer, Garden Editor of The Houston Press 
Lily Farm at Spring Proves Worth to Houston Area; 
Many New Varieties Developed 
Mrs. R. C. Meysenburg, 5401 Caroline, who has | making larger clumps and producing more blooms 
been horticultural adviser for the Southwest region 
of the Garden Club of America, has become an 
enthusiast in planting the Russell hybrids and one 
garden bed is filled with the choicest varieties. She 
is proud of her Red Emperor, “so appropriately 
named,” she said, “‘for the blossoms are very large, 
with reddish brown colorings.” 
There is no reason for anyone to tire of the color- 
ings of Daylilies, for they are so varied. Too, they 
do not usurp the garden, for the hybrids do not send 
out runners and they remain in compact clumps. 
The division can be left alone from year to year, 
each season. 
Another interesting feature of the Daylilies is 
their hardiness; they flourish under a varied range 
of soil and climatic conditions. Wet or dry, acid 
or lime, sand or clay, sun or shade, they pursue 
their habit of giving charm to the garden, and 
strange to say, they have no attractions for insects. 
Shipments have been made by Mr. Russell to 
every state in the Union besides Canada and Mexico. 
The industry has grown until it has become an 
asset to industrial Houston. 
Excerpts from Southern Florist and Nurseryman, a trade journal, December 18, 1942, by 
Dorothy C. Sorrells 
Hybridizing Exploits of Texas Breeder 
SPOTLIGHT ON DAYLILIES 
Development in Last 50 Years is Outlined 
Streamlined after 400 years, the Daylily takes 
the spotlight in horticultural interests. Plant 
breeders have produced hybrids with giant blossoms 
of brilliant shades and midget flowers of exquisite 
texture and the coloring of tropical blooms. Ignored 
and despised for centuries because of its unat- 
tractive color pattern, the Daylily has at last emerged 
from an ugly duckling into a swan of the flower 
world. H. M. Russell of Spring, Texas, has been 
hybridizing Daylilies for 21 years, devoting the last 
nine years exclusively to this genus. 
Daylilies grow in sun or partial shade; in acid or 
lime soil. The chief requirement is good drainage. 
Resistance to disease and fungi is very high. Ac- 
cording to Mr. Russell, not so much as 5 cents has 
ever been spent on his farms for insecticides. Day- 
lilies may be planted successfully any day of the 
year. 
Hybridizing must extend over a long period. 
Final results may or may not show the desired 
color, texture or other qualities the breeder is 
3 

striving to produce. Ninety-cight per cent of the 
products of hybrizing must be discarded. 
Selection is based first on color, then on profuse 
blooming qualities. 
A further test eliminates blossoms lacking dura- 
bility. Final selection is based upon height and 
behavior of blooming. Behavior of blooming refers 
to the flowering habits of the plant; preference is 
given the plant which sheds old blossoms in such 
| a way as to leave a clean flower stem. 
Having achieved the desired results in one hybrid, 
about seven years are required to produce a hundred 
plants from it. 
To the plant breeder the most interesting part 
of hybridizing is the experience of taking colors from 
one variety and placing them in other hybrids. 
Russell has produced solid colors of brilliant shades 
and bicolors of striking contrasts. Giant blossoms 
measuring 8 and 9 inches across have been produced 
in countless color combinations. 
RUSSELL GARDENS, SPRING, TEXAS 
