Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
marricgardens

naming a daylily

marricgardens
9 years ago

I have a few nice seedlings here but none that I would consider worthy of registration. I was just wondering how you guys come up with names for plants that you register?

Comments (12)

  • lynxe
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have never been within miles of registering anything, but I'm always coming up with names. I can't tell you what prompts me to record some of them -- they just sound really good to me. I have quite a long list and I guess it's a good thing that I've had to strike a couple of names because hybridizers went and used them. I especially like rhymes, word plays, and puns, and some names I've come up with are neologisms or nonsense. But I'm inspired by so many things; the possibilities are endless. In many cases, I come up with a name and then, afterward, see in my mind the perfect daylily to fit that name.

    There are so many potential sources for names....

    names that would honor someone you know personally or a pet. Or an event that's meaningful to you, e.g., SOMETHING OR OTHER ANNIVERSARY.

    names that describe or suggest a plant's attribute(s) - BLUE WHATEVER, RED WHATEVER, etc. Don Herr has TALL BLONDE AND HANDSOME for a 42" "blonde with yellow edge" daylily, and he has TALL DARK AND HANDSOME for a 52" burgundy (with lighter eye) daylily. VAMPIRE BAT's a great name for a dark, toothy daylily (Gossard 2011). A nice example of a name that contains clues about the plant is Stamile's LAST SNOWFLAKE, which is both white and registered as a very late bloomer. (It's always bloomed midseason for me BTW.) Mike Huben's large, tall, cream is VANILLA GORILLA. That one also meets one of my criteria for names I especially like because it rhymes, i.e., clever and easy to remember.

    names that honor or refer to place(s) that are meaningful to you. So, for example, your wonderful dark, near-black extended bloomer could be ONTARIO MOONLESS NIGHTS, and your very large, white UF could be ONTARIO AVALANCHE. :) Or you could start all your names with a place meaningful to you, say, where you live or the name of your garden. That way, regardless of what else is in the name, you won't have to worry about the name having been taken or reserved. You could have a white MARRIC MOONBEAM or a fiery red-orange MARRIC MOLTEN HOT, for example.

    names having to do with interests or hobbies of yours. Stu Kendig, who's in Pennsylvania, has PHILLIES' PINSTRIPE (red with pink edge), PHILLIES' STARTER (near white, red eye and red edge). Philadelphia Phillies baseball team colors are red and white, and perhaps he's a baseball fan. Or there's Dan Bachman and all his jazz- and blues-themed names. Many religious people incorporate their religion into the names. John Benz has many names indicating an interest in history; ditto on the late Phil Adams, who had lots of Civil War names, like BATTLE OF ANTIETAM, BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA, BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, and others. Luddy Lambertson is a bird watcher and check out all his " bird" names. A hybridizer named Griesbach also had many "bird" daylilies co-registered with Roy Klehm, like BALD EAGLE, BLUEBIRD, BUNTING, CANADIAN GOOSE, etc. Kemberly Roberts has "bait" names, among others, because her husband's hobby is fishing (I think) -- so, for example, BANANA BOOGIEBAIT, CHERRY CRANKBAIT, JAUNTING JUNEBUGBAIT (which I NEVER got to enjoy -- thank you, voles!).

    Bloom times might give you ideas, e.g., late bloomers and VLs might have August or September or Autumn in their names.

    Music and literature, also movies, even TV shows I suppose -- all fertile ground for names. Film, music, opera stars, e.g., Kirchhoff has AUDREY HEPBURN, BARBARA MANDRELL, BURT LANCASTER, MARIA CALLAS, etc., and John Rice has GRETA GARBO.

    Politics or associated with politics, can be funny (CLOWNS IN WASHINGTON, Clement 2009) or serious/straightforward (BETTY FORD, Kirchhoff 2002; PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, Frank Smith)

    Food, emotions, so many choices there.

    Same with place names, e.g. Brian Mahieu did volcanoes, among other things, e.g., ANIAKCHAK, BAGANA, BAITOUSHAN, etc.

    Another thing to consider:

    I know people who really dislike extremely long names. Partly because they can be difficult to remember; often because they're hard to fit on labels.

  • sherrygirl zone5 N il
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Marric, I read lynxe's post and thought the best idea was to name them after yourself, use your web name and then add something that describes it. You wouldnt, have to worry about somebody using the name in the past and it would be ALL yours, just my thought.

    Sherry

  • Ed
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have registered 5 plants to date. I've named all for people that are special in my life.
    Ed

  • Thomas Eyr
    9 years ago

    If anyone has a pink daylily they need to name I'd be happy to pay the registration costs if you name it after my daughter. Of course I would want a couple of fans too!

  • signet_gw(6b)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't have a method per se .....the names just seem to come as I get to know the plant . I know it seems a little weird but the plants seem to speak to me and tell me their names... ok so I am a little bit weird .....whoot whoot! LOL .

    Signet

    Just as an aside , Was this post actually started January 1 ,2015 I never noticed it before ?

  • marricgardens
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I think I'm the one who started it! I don't have any I consider worthy of registration but thought it would be nice to know how others came up with names. Do you ever take a coffee out and have a chat with your daylilies? LOL. marg

  • signet_gw(6b)
    9 years ago

    Actually Marg, I do try but usually end up getting side tracked and find my cup in the garden some days later .......the bugs having enjoyed imbibing of the tea before succumbing to not being able to get out of the mug. Poor bugs !

    Signet

  • Ed
    9 years ago

    One of my favorite things. Cup of coffee and tour the seedling beds to see what's new; first thing in the morning. Have also left the coffee when something great has bloomed and I must photograph it, or something else happens. Priorities you know!

  • PRO
    KD Landscape
    9 years ago

    Hemerocallis 'Pinochle Punch' (named by my wife):


    A couple of years ago I was at Hornbaker Gardens in Princeton, Illinois which is a retail garden center that specializes in daylilies. I bought a field clump of a peach daylily with a ruffled edge which was a chance seedling from the daylily gardens of breeder Bob Ellison in nearby Rockford. I took home the clump and told my wife it was a chance seedling that might never be named and that in our yard she could call it what she wished. I also told her that if the name she chose sounded good I would forward it to Hornbaker's. The next day she said it reminded her exactly of the color of punch her mom made for pinochle club back in the day, hence Pinochle Punch. I forwarded the backstory to Hornbaker;s and they are using it as an unregistered garden name only. Needless to say my spouse was thrilled. And while it's not a registered cultivar you can now look up Pinochle Punch online. Here it is in it's first year of bloom.

  • Ed
    9 years ago

    K & D Landscape Management,

    Have you tried to contact Bob Ellison about getting permission to register the plant? With his permission, it wouldn't be difficult or expensive to do. Maybe Hornbaker already has the rights if they purchased the entire seedling. Your wife would probably think it was neat.

    Ed

  • PRO
    KD Landscape
    9 years ago

    Gosh, had no idea I could do that. Thanks for suggesting it. From what I hear, Mr. Ellison might be in less than ideal health and am not sure if it would be a bother. Will make a couple of calls and see where it goes. Thanks again for the suggestion, Ed.