Hemerocallis 'Burning Daylight' is an intense glowing orange diploid daylily introduced in 1957 by American hybridiser Hubert A. Fischer (1896-1981). Fisher crossed his own hybrid Hemerocallis 'Smiling Thru' with an unknown seedling and it must have been a very orange-flowering seedling indeed because its other parent, Hemerocallis 'Smiling Thru' - a cultivar that is almost impossible to find these days - has a much duller buff and pink colouration. Apart from the obvious colour link, the hybrid was named after the Jack London novel 'Burning Daylight' and its protagonist who had it as his nickname. Set in the Yukon in 1893 during the Klondyke gold rush, Burnning Daylight is the toughest, strongest and most resilient of all the prospectors and makes a fortune before going on the make another one on Wall Street. Hemerocallis 'Burning Daylight' is certainly a tough, strong and resiilent cultivar, determined to shower its showy golden brilliance throughout the growing season in wave after wave of glowing orange flowers. It was awarded an American Hemerocallis Society Award of Merit in 1967 following on from an Honourable Mention in 1964.

A showstopper!