David And Alan
David and Alan (Bouman, 2005) diploid, 5, 25, Dor, M, Ext, EMO, CMO, No Fra. (Carlotta x Catherine Neal)
From my first hybridizing season in St. Louis, 1997. Superb in zone 6 or 7, often a winner in zone 5, sometimes a survivor in zone 4! "Dormant" does not mean "totally hardy!" Four-way branching, 25 buds, proliferates when grown in sun. Intense, deeply saturated cherry violet blend with consistent size and form, and with good weather resistance and holding ability. Prominent white midrib in the vicinity of the green throat area. White wire edge occasionally during hot, humid spells. Fertile both ways. This cultivar is a sun-feeder! It will thrive in ordinary soil, without pampering of any kind, if given sun and no competition from tree roots. I've grown it in a shady spot with tree roots, and although its color is always compelling, its performance is undistinguished in a bad spot. Named for two long-time friends in Vermont who organized an international music festival in Pitten, Lower Austria.
The picture below shows a group of double fans planted in a group with some spacing for a shovel. You can't see the spacing because the lush foliage fills in the space and gives the appearance of a huge clump. This mass effect really shows off the excellence of the floral presentation on the widely-spaced branches. The scapes on established fans always produce a proliferation or two, so the owner of this daylily can increase its mass just by planting the prolifs near the mother clump.
